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LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

University  of  California. 

Mrs.  SARAH  P.  WALSWORTH. 

Received  October,  1894. 
^Accessions  No,  S^S3 /J^     Class  No. 


EDIJO. 


PSYCH. 
UBRARY 


A      s 


THREE-FOLD   TEST 


MODEM   SPIRITUALISM. 


BY 

WILLIAM    R.    GORDON,    D.D. 


"Teebl:  Thon  alt  welglied  in  the  balances,  and  nrt  found  wanting."— Dan.  5 :  27.  ||b' 

NEW-YORK: 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER,    377    &    879    BROADWAY. 
1856.  h 


13  FIO^Z 


";^'., 


r^s^^ 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1856,  by 

WILLIAM  E.  GORDON, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for 
the  Southern  District  of  New-York. 


JOim   A.   GEAY'S  '*^', 

FIRE-PROOP      PRINTING      OFFICE 

16  and  18  Jacob  Street,  N.  Y, 


■* 


CONTENTS. 


PAGB 

Preface,  . 5 

Inteoduction,  .        .        .        .        .        •        .7 

CHAPTER   I. 
HiSTOEY  OF  Modern  Spiritualism,       .        .        .19 

CHAPTER  n. 

The  Fiest  Test  of  Spieituaxism,        ...      81 

CHAPTER  in. 

Paeallel  Maot'estations  among  the  Heathen,    ,156 


CHAPTER  rV^. 
Demonologt, 174 

CHAPTER   V. 

The  Second  Test  of  Spieitualism,       .        .        .188 


IV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

PAGE 

The  Good  and  Evil  of  Spikitualism  contrasted,  258 

CHAPTER  VH. 

The  Third  Test  oe  Spiritualism:  the  Bible,   .     290 

CHAPTER    Vin. 

The  Doctrines  op  Spiritualism  subyersiye  of 
Christianity,  and  Heathenish,       .        .        .325 

CHAPTER    IX. 
War  upon  Christianity  proclaimed,        .        .      345 

CHAPTER    X. 

Address  to  Recreant  Christians,        .        .        .375 

CHAPTER    XI. 
A  Word  to  the  Churches, 398 


is^ 


P  E  E  F  A  0  E. 


It  may  be  thought  by  some,  quite  below  the  dignity  of  his  char- 
acter and  calling,  for  a  Minister  of  the  Gospel  to  waste  his  time 
by  writing  on  the  unworthy  subject  which  this  book  professes  to 
discuss.  The  author  has  no  other  apology  to  make  but  a  differ- 
ence of  opinion.  He  does  not  consider  the  subject  beneath  him,  be- 
cause it  has  already  attained  results  unusually  great,  for  the  period 
it  has  been  before  the  world  as  a  distinct  individuality ;  and  for 
this  reason,  he  hopes  his  time  has  not  been  wasted. 

Modern  Spiritualism,  whatever  may  be  thought  of  its  intrinsic 
merits,  derives  importance  from  considerations  extraneous  to 
these.  It  has  enlisted  in  its  service,  men  who  have  been  honored 
with  posts  of  influence  and  trust ;  men  who  have  as  much  to  lose 
as  others ;  men  of  earnest  purpose,  who  defend  their  position  with 
tact,  and  display  a  mind  made  up  in  courage,  worthy  of  any 
cause ;  and  men  who  write  with  force,  and  show  an  all-pervading 
earnestness  at  the  cost  of  reputation :  and  they  have  succeeded 
in  pushing  their  cause  to  the  position  of  an  influence  that  can  not 
be  met  by  the  argument  of  contempt.  The  matter  of  its  worth 
or  worthlessness,  does  not  alter  the  facts  of  its  present  power 
and  increasing  growth ;  and  as  it  is  the  solemn  duty  of  the  Gos- 
pel ministry,  to  influence  the  masses  in  favor  of  the  cause  they 
hold  to  be  of  vital  interest  to  the  souls  of  men,  indifference  to  any 
thing  interfering  with  their  own  success,  is  a  sin  of  omission  sur- 
charged with  guilt.     None  understand  this  better  than  they. 


VI  PEEFACE. 

We  can  not  hope  that  such  as  have  been  led  astray  by  this 
strange  delusion,  will  be  cured  of  their  folly  by  their  own  dis- 
coveries ;  and  if  they  should,  such  discoveries  would  cost  quite 
too  much.  It  is  better  to  prevent  than  to  cure.  We  think,  the 
reasons  that  prompted  the  composition  of  this  book,  will  be  fully 
understood  when  the  courteous  reader  gets  midway ;  and  with 
this  intimation,  we  beg  excuse  for  stopping  here,  and  have  good 
hope  it  will  be  granted;  for  long  Prefaces  are  rightly  judged  to 
be,  in  most  cases,  quite  too  lengthy ;  and  when  we  may,  it  is  best 
to  secure  the  merit  of  being  short. 


i^    -        # 


m- 


INTRODUCTION 


His  readers  have  a  right  to  know,  in  the  outset,  whether  the  au- 
thor has  any  thing  to  offer  more  than  others  who  have  preceded 
him,  on  the  side  of  the  question  he  proposes  to  discuss  in  this 
volume.  It  will  be  seen  that  he  claims  to  have  furnished  in  his 
work  a7nple  materials  to  enable  them  to  judge  for  themselves 
both  as  to  the  intrinsic  merits  of  the  subject  before  them,  and 
his  qualifications,  so  far  as  they  relate  to  his  plan  of  investiga- 
tion ;  and  also  his  opportunities  for  getting  at  the  truth. 

Some  eight  months  have  now  elapsed  since  the  writer  actively 
began  to  explore  for  himself  this  subject  of  Modern  Spiritual- 
ism. Long  before  that  time,  his  attention  had  been  called  to  it 
in  his  ordinary  intercourse  with  wondering  mortals,  who  having 
heard  and  seen  wonderful  things,  "doubted  of  them  whereunto 
this  would  grow."  The  effect  was  not  to  lead  him  to  ridicule, 
but  rather  to  admire  the  courage  of  some  of  the  leaders  who  have 
been  long  known  as  reputable  men,  and  whose  position  and  in- 
fluence honestly  gained,  entitle  them  to  be  heard.  The  assail- 
ant's imputation  of  some  unhappy  proclivities  of  mind,  discov- 
ered in  them  by  personal  friends  who  were  too  delicate  to  mention 
it  before ;  the  sudden  recollections  of  certain  impressions  of  oddi- 
ties that  their  embrace  of  Spiritualism  brought  up  to  the  minds 
of  their  former  intimate  friends,  and  all  that  genteel  tenderness  of 
slander,  had  the  tendency  to  awaken  in  him  a  disposition  to  credit 
them  for  sincerity,  and  for  a  moral  heroism,  that  did  not  quail  at 


VIU  INTRODUCTION. 

the  finger  of  scorn,  in  owning  and  defending  a  cause  which  they 
thought  they  had  good  reason  to  beheve  the  cause  of  truth.  Hero- 
ism is  not  always  pecuUar  to  the  votaries  of  a  good  cause. 

Having  heard  of  the  additional  demonstrative  evidence  of  truth, 
corroborative  of  life  and  immortality  brought  to  light  in  the  Gos- 
pel, which  they  had  received  by  an  agency  not  seeming  to  square 
with  the  fitness  of  things,  but  which  nevertheless  had,  for  eight 
years  past,  baffled  all  efforts  put  forth  to  prove  it  a  pure  impos- 
ture of  those  engaged  in  its  propagation,  he  considered  it  his 
duty  to  enter  the  list  of  sincere  inquirers.  Fully  confirmed  in 
the  truth  of  Biblical  inspiration,  the  proofs  of  which  have  been 
accumulating  for  ages,  he  did  not  conceive  it  an  incredible  thing, 
nor  one  unworthy  of  Heaven,  that  the  key-stone  in  the  arch  of 
evidence  should  be  furnished  by  angels,  whose  joy  over  penitent 
sinners  would  leap  at  the  permission  thus  to  awaken  the  dormant 
energies  of  men  to  the  high  theme  of  a  glorious  salvation. 

In  this  he  saw  nothing  to  contradict  the  Bible,  for  who  is  not 
familiar  with  the  fact  of  spiritual  intercourse  between  Heaven  and 
earth  in  by-gone  ages  of  which  the  Bible  is  a  faithful  record  ? 
To  this  it  has  been  the  constant  practice  of  Spiritualists  to  ap- 
peal, and  the  language  which  had  met  him,  justified  the  belief 
that  this  movement,  however  hardly  it  might  deal  with  sectarian- 
ism, was  not  by  any  means  antagonistic  to  Christianity.  He  fell 
in  with  a  Weekly,  devoted  to  this  cause,  called  the  Cheistian 
Spiritualist,  bearing  a  motto  from  the  lips  of  Jesus,  and  dated 
December  22d,  1855,  from  which  he  dipt  an  extract  from  a  ser- 
mon by  a  Rev.  gentleman  who  had  become  a  convert,  with  re- 
marks by  the  editor,  who  seemed  to  be  right-minded  respecting 
the  Bible  as  the  standard  of  appeal  in  the  matter  of  religion. 
Here  it  is : 

"  "We  can  do  no  better  in  this  connection  than  to  present  an  extract 
from  a  recent  discourse  upon  tliis  very  subject,  delivered  in  Brooklyn, 
by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Beswick,  in  which  he  clearly  demonstrates  fi-om  the 
Bible  the  fact  of  spirit  intercourse  with  man.     He  says : 

"  '  "We  will  now  cite  the  few  Biblical  demonstrations  of  the  ministra- 
tions of  spirits,  and  the  immediate  communications  between  the  two 
worlds ;  and  all  our  cases  will  be  purely  Biblical,  In  the  Psalms  34  :  *?, 
we  read :  "  The  angel  of  the  Lord  encampeth  about  them  and  deliver- 
oth  them;"  and  in  the  same  book  of  Psalms  we  read:  "Por  he  shall 
give  his  angel  charge  over  thee  to  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways."  (90  :  2.) 


INTEODUCTION.  IX 

"We  can  see  how  easily  ttis  could  be  accomplished,  when  we  see  that 
the  soul  is  already  a  spiritually-organized  form  and  inhabitant  of  the 
spirit-world,  and  can  be  as  readily  assisted  and  communicated  with  by 
a  guardian-angel  as  the  body  of  one  man  with  that  of  another.  The 
Apostle  Paul,  speaking  of  angelic  spurits,  says:  "Are  they  not  aZ?  min- 
istering spirits  sent  forth  to  minister  to  them  who  shall  be  heu*s  of  sal- 
vation?" In  this  passage  we  are  expressly  taught  that  assisting  man- 
kind, or  constant  communication  with  mankind,  is  not  only  a  standing 
employment  or  office  of  angelic  spirits,  but  that  it  is  the  only  authorized 
use  or  office.  Of  course  this  assistance  would  include  every  possible  va- 
riety of  modes.  Their  duty  is  assistance  in  some  mode  to  those  who 
are  heirs  of  salvation.  This  is  not  spoken  of  as  a  special  or  isolated  case, 
but  the  universal  duty  of  all ;  not  the  duty  of  one  or  a  few,  but  the 
duty  of  all;  it  is  the  authorized  duty  of  all,  without  exception,  in  some 
mode  or  other,  according  to  requirements.  It  is  the  established  law  of 
the  spirit-land;  for  Paul  says,  first :  "  Are  they  not  all  mmistering  spir- 
its ?"  And  this  expression  admits  of  no  exception.  Then,  secondly, 
he  says,  "  sent  forth  to  minister  to  those  who  are  heu-s  of  salvation." 
And  this  expression  of  their  being  "  sent  forth  to  minister,"  shows  it  to 
be  a  duty  imposed  by  the  very  law  of  Heaven  on  aU  its  inhabitants. 
True,  it  is  only  Paul  who  says  that  this  is  the  law  of  Heaven,  and  that 
this  is  the  duty  of  all  Heaven's  sons.  But  then  Paul  affirms  he  was 
caught  up  into  the  third  or  highest  heaven,  and  had  an  opportunity 
of  speaking  from  experience.  His  testimony  is  not,  therefore,  to  be 
lightly  esteemed,  nor  invalidated  by  a  doubt.  His  own  history  in  the 
Acts  bears  testimony  of  his  having  thus  been  constantly  ministered  to  ; 
and  in  the  same  Acts,  when  speaking  of  Peter's  guardian-spirit,  we 
have  the  expression,  "/if  is  his  angel."  But  to  take  a  rapid  survey  erf" 
such  guardianship,  would  strikingly  illustrate  this  universal  duty  on  all 
Heaven's  sons,  as  stated  by  Paul.  In  the  vision  of  Jacob's  ladder,  an- 
gels are  represented  as  constantly  ascending  and  descending  from  heav- 
en to  earth.  Angels  deUvered  Lot  from  Sodom,  Jacob  from  Esau,  Dan- 
iel from  the  lions,  his  three  companions  from  the  furnace,  Peter  from 
Herod,  and  the  nation  of  the  Israelites  successively  from  the  Egyptians, 
Canaanites,  and  Assyrians.  Thus  they  conducted — ^that  is,  did  the  duty 
of  ministering  to  Paul ;  they  conducted  Lot,  Abraham,  and  the  Israel- 
ites, in  a  season  of  great  difficulty  and  danger,  to  places  and  circum- 
stances of  safety  and  peace ;  they  conducted  Gideon  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Mideanitcs ;  Joseph  and  Mary  to  Egypt ;  Philip  to  the  Eu- 
nuch, and  ComeUus  to  Peter,  that  they  might  impart  a  knowledge  of 
the  G-ospel.  Thus  they  comforted  Jacob,  at  the  approach  of  Esauj  Dan- 
iel, in  his  peculiar  sorrows  and  dangers ;  Zachariah,  in  the  sufferings  of 
his  nation ;  Joseph  and  Mary,  in  theh  perplexities ;  Christ,  in  his  ago- 
ny ;  the  Apostles  and  their  companions,  after  his  resurrection ;  Paul, 
immediately  before  his  shipwreck ;  and  the  Church  universally,  by  the 
testimony  and  instruction  given  in  the  Book  of  Revelation  by  the  Apos- 
tle John.' 

"  "With  these  proofs  of  spirit  intercourse,  together  with  hundreds  of 
ethers  that  might  be  quoted  from  Scripture,  we  can  weU  say  with  the 
author  of  the  above  extract,  that  it  seems  to  us.  from  the  Bible's  tcach- 
1* 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

ing,  that  constant  intercourse  existed  between  tlie  two  worlds,  in  the 
early  history  of  our  race.  It  appears  to  have  been  the  most  universal 
of  all  convictions.  The  veil  between  them  and  the  invisible  world 
must  have  been  slight  indeed.  It  was  no  matter  of  dread  or  bewilder- 
ment to  them,  if,  in  the  stillness  of  the  sunset  hour,  stranger-feet  drew 
near  their  dwelling,  and  the  phenomena  of  both  worlds  became  blend- 
ed into  the  vision ;  forms,  glorious  with  the  majesty  of  holiness,  entered 
beneath  their  roof  to  commune  with  them,  and  teach  them,  in  their  de- 
parting, that  they  had  been  with  beings  of  another  land.  The  very  ab- 
sence of  fear  or  wonder  implies  the  original  universality  of  such  inter- 
course or  opening  of  the  spirit-sight.  All  the  most  ancient  traditions  are 
founded  on  an  intercourse  with  the  spirit-land;  and  the  separation 
between  the  living  and  departed  was  held  to  have  been  marvellously 
shght." 

"But  here  the  '  orthodox' skeptic  may  exclaim :  'True,  I  believe  all 
this ;  but  what  God  permitted  of  old,  he  does  not  allow  now.'  To  this 
we  simply  reply :  God's  laws  are  immutable.  He  never  has,  and  we 
add,  with  all  due  reverence,  he  never  can,  change  them ;  for,  could  he, 
he  would  become  a  changeable  and  fickle  being,  and  cease  to  be  God. 
Now,  as  in  the  times  of  the  Apostle  Paul,  the  departed  '  all  are  minis- 
tering spu*its;'  and  the  modem  proof  of  spirit  ministrations  is  as  strong 
and  positive  as  any  to  be  found  within  the  pages  of  the  Bible." 

"  When  the  skeptic  will  present  us  with  the  first  positive  assertion 
found  in  the  Bible,  that  the  ministration  of  angels  or  spu-its  was  to  cease 
with  the  exit  in  the  body  of  the  apostles  of  old ;  when  they  will  prove 
that  the  comforter  promised  by  Jesus  was  only  to  be  sent  to  his  disci- 
ples, then  in  the  flesh ;  that  the  relation  of  what  occurred  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  and  that  the  great  light  seen  and  the  voice  heard  by  Saul  of 
Tarsus,  are  fables,  then  we  wUl  admit,  not  that  we  have  any  doubt  of 
modern  spirit  intercourse,  but  that  we  question  the  truth  of  Scripture ; 
for,  to  prove  this,  we  must  ignore  the  Bible,  and,  as  a  consequence,  the 
creeds  and  dogmas  of  a  Christianity  of  eighteen  hundred  years'  growth, 
must  fall  to  the  ground. 

"We  could  occupy  every  column  of  our  paper  in  adducing  further 
proof  from  the  Bible  of  the  truth  of  spirit  intercourse,  but  we  do  not 
deem  it  necessary.  But  is  it  not  a  strange  sight  to  see  self-styled  *  Or- 
thodox Christians'  most  cordially  unite,  cheek  by  jowl,  with  those  whom 
they  denounce  as  '  Infidels,'  'Atheists,'  and  '  unbeUevers,  in  denying 
the  truth  of  present  spirit  intercourse?  Truly,  the  'meek  and  holy 
Jesus'  is  woimded  afresh  and  crucified  anew  in  the  house  of  his  (pro- 
fessed) fi'iends. 

"  Having,  at  least  to  our  o^vn  satisfaction,  established  from  Scripture 
the  fact  of  spirit  intercourse,  in  times  past,  with  man,  we  reserve  imtil 
next  week  the  proof,  equally  as  positive  and  explicit,  that  we  are  now 
in  communication  with  them — that 

'  Millions  of  unseen  beings  walk  the  air, 
Both  when  we  wake  and  when  we  sleep.'  " 

The  author  had  also  met  \\  ith  the  statement  of  Gov.  Tall- 


INTRODUCTION.  XI 

madge,  that  the  doctrines  of  the  Bible  were  ratified  to  him  by  the 
testimony  of  spirits. 

Thus  understanding  the  matter,  and  yielding  to  the  importuni- 
ties and  proffered  pledges  of  success,  given  in  the  strongest  terms, 
by  men  of  science  and  accredited  ability,  who  professed  to  have 
arrived  at  a  sensible  assurance  in  regard  to  the  greatest  possible  in- 
terest to  mankind,  which  all  may  have  who  seek,  the  writer  deter- 
mined to  investigate  under  their  guidance,  fully  resolved  to  fol- 
low where  truth  might  lead,  though  it  might  cost  him  a  sacrifice. 
He  commenced  a  perfect  skeptic ;  but  now  his  skepticism  is  all 
gone.  The  investigation  led  to  a  conviction  that  the  thousands 
of  manifestations  in  this  country  and  in  Europe — a  mere  speci- 
men of  which  he  has  selected — are  made  by  spirits.  It  is,  so  far 
as  he  can  see,  impossible  to  maintain  a  denial.  The  attempt  has 
often  been  made,  and  as  often  failed.  And  let  it  be  remembered 
that  no  man  is  entitled  to  pronounce  upon  the  matter,  unless  he 
have  in  some  way  examined  it  to  some  extent.  Dr.  Coan  of 
England,  has  truly  said:  "It  is  only  by  extensive  familiarity 
with  the  existing  literature  of  modern  Spiritualism,  that  we  can 
arrive  at  any  correct  idea  of  its  true  nature  and  extent ;  and  it  is 
because  the  attention  of  observers  in  England  has  been  so  exclu- 
sively occupied  with  some  of  the  more  popular  but  least  import- 
ant phenomena,  that  the  information  now  prevalent  is  so  inade- 
quate for  the  formation  of  sound  and  comprehensive  conclu- 
sions." 

The  same  inadequate  information  has  here  also  prevented,  in 
thousands  of  instances,  such  conclusions  as  Dr.  Coan  mentions. 
This  fact  forcibly  struck  the  writer  before  he  met  with  the  pam- 
phlet whence  the  above  extract  is  made.  He  has  seen  at  circles 
wonderful  manifestations  of  physiognomy  in  persons  to  whom  a 
little  previous  knowledge  would  have  evidently  been  of  some  ser- 
vice. Hence  he  has  ranged  through  a  large  portion  of  the  "  ex- 
isting literature,"  and  given  copious  extracts  upon  which  any 
man  may  make  up  his  mind  as  to  the  nature  of  the  whole. 

The  theories  of  involuntary  or  unconscious  muscular  movement, 
— ^Electric,  Mesmeric,  Odylic— all  alike  prove  inadequate  to  ex- 
plain the  phenomena  ;  for  none  of  them  can  originate  the  intelli- 
(jence  that  is  unmistakably  produced,  unless  intellect  be  common 


Xll  INTEODUCTION. 

to  matter  and  mind — a  supposition  not  likely  to  receive  admis* 
sion.  We  are  therefore  driven  to  the  choice  between  material- 
ism and  spiritual  agency. 

While  the  writer  declares  for  the  latter,  he  as  distinctly  de- 
clares his  belief  that  the  spirits  communicating,  by  no  adequate 
proof,  are  shown  to  be  the  spirits  of  our  departed  friends ; 
because  it  is  admitted  that  they  may  be  personated,  and  often 
are  personated  by  eml  spirits ;  neither  is  the  proof  adequate 
that  they  are  good  angels,  because  the  same  imposition  is  often 
detected,  and  the  matter  of  their  communications  is  manifestly 
too  mawkish  to  sustain  their  pretensions.  The  whole  movement, 
then,  we  accredit  to  a  peculiar  kind  of  angels,  of  whom  our  Sav- 
iour speaks.     Our  reasons  are  as  follows  : 

1.  Many  deceptions,  confessedly,  are  practised;  and  our  spirit- 
ualists have  not  shown  that  they  are  able  to  prove  those  spirits, 
accepted  as  good,  to  be  other  than  deceivers. 

2.  This  theory  abundantly  accounts  for  all  \hQ  facts  in  the 
case,  and  the  contrary  can  not  be  shown ;  whereas  all  others  sig- 
nally fail. 

3.  The  absence  of  dignified  discourse,  of  respectable  originality 
of  combination  in  the  most  common  ideas,  the  contradictory  and 
often  absurd  nature  of  the  things  communicated,  and  their  ten- 
dency to  confuse  and  confound  the  operations  of  the  mind,  are 
precisely  such  results  as  might  be  expected  from  an  evil  agency. 

4.  The  denial  of  the  grand  leading  doctrine  of  atonement  for 
sin  by  the  merits  of  Christ,  upon  which  the  Bible  suspends  hu- 
man salvation,  is  the  very  thing  that,  of  all  others,  we  might  ex- 
pect from  Satanic  agency ;  and  this  denial  is  persistently  main- 
tained by  those  accepted  as  good  spirits^ 

5.  We  are  told  to  "  put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God,  that  we 
may  be  able  to  stand  against  the  wiles  of  the  Devil."  We  are 
taught  to  be  aware,  lest  we  "  fall  into  the  condemnation  of  the 
Devil,"  lest  we  "  fall  into  the  snare  of  the  Devil."  We  are  ex- 
horted to  "  resist  the  Devil,"  who,  "  as  a  roaring  lion,  walketh 
about,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour."  And  with  greater  precision 
we  are  told  that  for  the  purpose  of  deception,  "  Satan  himself  is 
transformed  into  an  angel  of  light,"  and  that  in  accordance  with  this 
his  manifestation,  antichrist  shall  deceive  many  in  the  latter  day;-;. 


INTEODUCTION.  XIU 

"We  are  admonished  of  the  "  depths  of  Satan."  Now,  when  the 
wiles,  the  snares,  the  depths  of  Satan,  who  is  of  much  experience, 
cunning,  and  power,  are  presented  in  Scripture  as  to  be  brought 
out  "  with  all  deceivableness"  in  the  latter  days;  and  when  we 
consider  what  has  been  done  and  is  now  doing  the  world  over 
by  spiritualism  and  its  manifestations,  it  is  perfectly  clear  that 
nothing  in  this  whole  movement  has  been  presented  incompatible 
with  these  wiles,  and  these  depths  of  the  adversary  of  mankind. 
On  the  contrary,  the  sayings  and  doings  of  these  spirits  are 
exactly  such  as  are  in  keeping  with  the  prophetical  declarations 
of  Scripture.  To  accomplish  their  object,  it  would  seem,  they 
feel  the  necessity  of  the  present  simultaneous  effort  to  bring 
the  Bible  into  disrepute,  to  deny  the  essentials  of  salvation 
as  presented  therein ;  and  if  they  can  succeed  here,  it  will  be 
worth  all  their  pains  and  expenditure  of  crafty  effort  to  counterfeit 
the  true  and  the  good. 

6.  The  discoveries  of  the  writer  soon  led  him  into  the  fact,  that 
all  the  good  spirits  everywhere  thus  engaged,  deny  the  existence  of 
the  Devil  and  his  angels,  and  seem  anxious  to  convince  men  that 
these  are  mere  mythologic  creatures,  whose  existence  and  agency, 
as  presented  in  the  Bible,  are  purely  fictitious.  Now,  it  is  quite 
clear  that  this  is  just  what  a  cunning  devil  would  do ;  for  should 
he  stick  out  his  split  foot,  he  could  not  very  well  explain  such  a 
"manifestation." 

On  the  subject  of  Spiritualism,  a  very  prominent  and  well-con- 
ducted review,  widely  circulated  among  us,  holds  the  following 
language: 

"We  believe  that  all  notice  taken  of  these  mediums,  familiar  spirits, 
and  necromancers,  such  as  implies  anxiety  to  explain  their  movements, 
and  to  find  the  secret  of  them,  and  especially  all  attempts  to  give  them 
the  dignity  of  originating  in  and  bringing  to  light  a  new  power  of  nature, 
Odylic  or  otherwise,  increase  rather  than  abate  the  nuisance.  These 
things  thrive  on  notoriety  and  attention.  But  let  them  be  utterly  ab- 
jured on  this  plain  ground,  that  if  mere  tricks  of  man,  they  are  detesta- 
ble, and  if  too  much  for  man,  they  are  from  Satan,  and  so  stiU  more  de- 
testable ;  they  will  not  long  survive  this  treatment,  and  the  trade  will 
soon  come  to  an  end." 

The  writer  of  the  above  is  evidently  unacquainted  with  the 
subject.  Modern  spiritualism,  be  it  remembered,  does  not  present 
itself  as  a  mere  puzzle  for  the  wise  explorers  of  nature,  but  most 


XIV  lifTKODUCTIOK. 

pertinaciously  thrusts  itself  in  our  faces  as  a  religious  system,  es- 
sentially catholic  and  Christian,  holding  forth  din.  additional  revela- 
tion of  unseen  and  hitherto  undescribed  worlds,  having  an  im- 
mense advantage  over  all  present  forms  of  belief,  and  avowedly 
designed,  by  the  declarations  of  leading  spirits  in  and  out  of  the 
body,  to  overthrow  the  Bible  as  the  rule  of  faith  and  practice. 
It  is  an  outspoken,  antagonistic  religion,  claiming  to  be  tlie  Christ- 
ian, hostile  to  all  the  forms  and  sects  of  the  day,  and  announcing 
itself  as  the  destroyer  of  the  outward  Christian  Church,  and  its 
own  substitution  as  the  true  embodiment  of  a  purified,  reformed 
Christianity.  The  proof  is  given  in  the  sequel.  These  extravagant 
pretenses  will  doubtless  be  laughed  at  by  that  very  respectable 
and  staid  class  of  men  who  are  represented  by  the  writer  just 
quoted.  We  hope  we  shall  not  forfeit  whatever  claims  we  may 
be  supposed  to  have  to  similar  virtues,  by  differing  from  them. 

Be  it  remembered,  that  the  argument  of  contempt  in  the  case 
of  a  far  more  contemptible  cause,  Mormonism,  was  thought 
would  work  wonders ;  that  it  could  not  long  survive  this  treat- 
ment, and  that  the  trade  would  soon  come  to  an  end.  What  is  the 
result  ?  Mormonism  is  at  this  hour  one  of  the  blackest,  heaviest 
clouds  resting  upon  owe  political  horizon.  The  reUgioits  element  at 
first  predominated  in  this  system  ;  hence  the  success  of  its  im- 
postures. Had  it  been  attacked  and  exposed  in  the  outset,  instead 
of  being  left  to  the  stings  of  contempt;  had  the  world  been 
instructed  as  to  its  nature  and  operations  by  discussion,  thousands 
of  foreigners  who  have  been  left  an  easy  prey  to  its  plausible  ad- 
vocates, emissaries,  and  missionaries,  would  have  been  made 
aware  of  its  true  character,  and  would  never  have  left  their  homes 
in  other  countries,  the  victims  of  a  delusion  fi-om  whose  snares 
and  wilderness-fastnesses  they  can  not  now  escape. 

When  Mohammedism  arose,  its  absurdities  were  left  for  the 
most  part  to  the  argument  of  contempt.  Its  shrewd  leader  was 
many  years  in  making  a  few  converts,  but  we  know  what  were 
the  ultimate  measures  and  success  of  the  movement. 

The  advantage  of  modern  Spiritualism  is  in  the  crafty  adapta- 
tions of  asserted  spiritual  intercourse,  to  accomplish  greater 
wonders.  Accordingly  it  has  in  the  short  space  of  eight  years 
rolled  up  a  few  millions  of  adherents,  while  its  affinities  and 


ODUCTION.  XV 

tendencies  will  secure  the  sympathies  of  a  vast  number  ignorant 
of  its  claims,  and  unprepared  to  withstand  the  argument  of 
physical  manifestations  that  no  mortal  can  account  for  on  any 
natural  principles.  Its  inherent  ability  to  deceive  and  con- 
sequently to  ruin  the  ill-informed  but  sincere,  is  far  greater 
than  any  delusion  that  ever  attacked  the  weak  side  of  human 
nature.  Therefore  we  think  the  well-meant  advice  in  the  "Re- 
view" is  given  in  ignorance  of  the  capabilities  of  the  thing  spok- 
en against,  without  regard  to  sound  experience,  with  a  seemingly 
culpable  indifference  to  the  souls  of  men,  and  the  movements  of 
the  enemy,  and  in  direct  opposition  to  the  injunctions  of  the 
Gospel.  We  meet  spiritualism  therefore  as  a  religious  system  and 
a  sworn  foe  to  the  Church  of  Christ. 

The  early  champions  of  Christ  battled  heroically  and  success- 
fully against  ancient  mediums,  familiar  spirits,  and  necroman- 
cers; and  shall  we  take  the  opposite  course  and  allow  the 
strongest  elements  of  old  paganism  to  be  entrenched  under  our 
noses,  behind  the  fair  front  of  true  Christianity  ?  Shall  we  sup- 
pose they  will  be  annihilated  by  the  potency  of  our  contempt  ? 
Who  cares  for  contempt  when  he  may  thrive  under  its  fancied 
inflictions  ?  Is  not  that  a  very  strange  argument  for  a  "  soldier 
of  the  cross"  to  take  into  his  mouth,  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
above  quotation  ?  If  it  be  sound  now,  it  would  have  been  good 
against  the  Apostle  Paul  and  his  immortal  coadjutors,  respect- 
ing their  attacks  upon  the  strongholds  of  sin. 

Supineness  upon  the  part  of  the  lovers  of  the  Church  and  of 
Avell-ordered  society,  is  all  that  is  needed  to  give  advantage  to  an 
enemy.  The  writer  thinks  it  impossible  to  magnify  the  evils 
that  may  grow  out  of  the  subject  that  has  here  engaged  his  atten- 
tion, and  to  which  he  solicits  the  attention  of  his  readers.  He 
looks  at  it  as  a  system  not  yet  fully  organized,  but  soon  to  be 
developed,  and  worked  with  skill.  Its  tendencies  and  possible 
results  demand  and  must  receive  attention.  While  he  condemns 
it  by  evidence  intrinsic  and  extrinsic  to  itself,  he  desires  to  say, 
that  he  does  not  deny  the  sincerity  of  the  most  of  those  engaged  in 
its  propagation ;  but  holds  that  Spiritualists  are  craftily  deluded. 
The  evidence  is  in  the  sequel.  The  spirits  they  rely  upon  teach, 
and  they  believe,  that  there  are  no  such  adversaries  of  mankind 


XVI  INTRODUCTION. 

as  those  to  whom  the  writer  attributes  this  movement ;  they  try- 
to  show  it  is  the  work  of  a  heavenly  agency.  He  applies  his 
THREE-FOLD  TEST,  and  has  just  that  amount  of  assurance  as 
enables  him  to  stand  up  and  say,  that  he  has  made  out  his  case. 
He  considers  that  SpirituaHsts  are  all  sadly  imposed  upon,  and 
they  consequently  impose  upon  others  by  such  assurances  as 
have  been  already  mentioned,  and  which  are  never  realized.  He 
thinks  it  his  duty  to  furnish  material  enough,  in  the  extracts 
he  has  made  from  their  original  pages,  to  enable  those  who  have 
not  enjoyed,  or  will  not  avail  themselves  of  his  opportunities, 
calmly  and  intelligently  to  discuss  this  whole  matter  and  present 
it  in  its  true  light. 

Of  this  our  authors  can  not  complain,  because  it  is  just 
what  they  ask;  besides,  none  have  sufifered  so  much  abuse 
at  their  hands,  as  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  under  the  name  of 
"  priests,"  contemptuously  bestowed ;  who  in  various  quarters 
are  sneeringly  challenged  and  maliciously  mocked.  These  mani- 
festations^ we  take  to  be  confirmatory  of  our  position.  It  can  not 
therefore  be  a  grievance,  if  plainness  of  speech  be  used.  The 
subject  demands  it,  and  an  earnest  opponent,  who  really  wishes 
to  get  at  truth  in  a  discusssion,  will  readily  pardon  what  are 
popularly  called  "  hard  hits,"  when  fairly  given. 

As  it  is  desirable  that  Christians  should  have  at  the  smallest 
expense,  a  reliable  "  Dictionary  of  Quotations" — a  copious  vol- 
ume of  "  Elegant  Extracts,"  upon  which  they  may  safely  draw, 
whenever  they  come  in  contact  with  Spiritualists,  this  object  has 
been  kept  in  view,  while  at  the  same  time  the  large  amount  of 
heterogeneous  matter,  or  "brain-dribble"  from  spirits,  furnish 
the  basis  for  argument  against  themselves.  The  design  of  this 
book  is  to  give  a  picture  of  Spiritualism,  limned  by  its  own 
artists.  And  it  is  not  too  much  to  expect  that  they  who  read  it, 
if  not  already  infatuated,  will  turn  away  with  ineffable  disgust 
from  a  system  having  nothing  to  relieve  it  from  the  merited 
execrations  of  God,  angels,  and  men ;  a  system  whose  involutions 
have  concealed  manifold  misery  to  unsuspecting  thousands,  and 
if  there  be  any  truth  in  the  Bible,  must  ultimately  unfold  to  its 
unhappy  followers  the  bitterness  of  "  progression"  in  banishment 
from  God. 


INTEODUCTION.  XVll 

The  writer  asks  none  to  accept  his  opinion,  but  he  does  ask 
that  his  book  be  read,  before  that  opinion  be  condemned.  His 
opinion  is,  that  spirituaHsm  is  all  evil  without  any  good  worthy 
the  name,  and  therefore  it  is  the  agency  of  the  Demi;  for  noth- 
ing can  come  by  chance,  nor  can  God  be  the  author  of  such  a 
system. 

There  are  many  besides  spiritualists,  who  will  probably  sneer 
at  this  account  of  the  matter.  We  shall  find  no  fault,  provided 
they  read  the  sequel ;  yet  we  can  not  help  thinking,  that  they  who 
are  so  utterly  incredulous  as  to  evil  as  well  as  good  spiritual 
agency  connected  with  this  movement,  show  too  much  of  the 
Sadducee,  while  their  professed  belief  in  Bible  facts  has  a  doubt- 
ful aspect  in  the  light  of  their  colloquial  commentaries.  Mere 
intellectual  Christianity  finds  great  difficulty  in  admitting  an  im- 
mediate direct  spiritual  agency  upon  the  human  soul,  whether  it 
be  evil  or  good ;  but  we  need  not  say  this  is  not  the  Christianity 
of  the  Bible. 

Although  the  author  was  led  into  the  investigation  of  this  sub- 
ject  from  the  facts  of  many  having  been  drawn  off  from  the  Church 
by  its  fascinating  influence,  of  several  ministers  of  the  Methodist 
Church  having  embraced  it,  of  the  serious  way  in  which  men  of 
acknowledged  ability  treated  it,  of  the  bewildered  state  of  mind 
produced  in  many  well-disposed  persons  in  and  out  of  church 
communion,  that  he  might  be  able,  to  some  extent,  to  satisfy 
those  who  addressed  him  on  "  what  he  thought  of  it,"  yet  he  had 
no  idea  of  being  brought  into  the  position  he  now  occupies  before 
the  reader ;  but  when  once  in  for  it,  the  fascination  of  pursuit 
became  powerful.  And  while  he  desires  to  say,  it  is  not  safe  for 
any  one  to  pursue  the  matter  as  long  and  as  hard  as  he  has  done, 
and  would  persuade  every  one  to  keep  aloof  from  it  altogether, 
he  does  not  regret  the  loss  of  money  and  time,  and  the  trials 
of  nerve  to  which  he  has  been  subjected,  because  he  hopes 
it  may  result  in  good  to  others ;  and  in  his  own  case,  so  fortify 
him  in  the  belief  of  the  truth,  that  he  can  say  with  a  stronger 
emphasis  than  ever :  "  We  are  not  ignorant  of  Satan's  devices." 
(2  Cor.  2  :  11.) 

New-York,  July  31s#,  1856. 


A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 


CHAPTER   I. 


"  Eaise  me  a  Spirit  I 
Awake  ye  dead !    Out  with  ttie  secret,  death  I"— Festtjs. 

HISTOET  OF   MODEEN   SPIEITUALISM. 

A  Materialist's  Opinions — Debut  of  the  Spirits — Statements  of  Mrs  Fox, 
Mr.  Duesler,  and  Mr.  Fox — The  first  Medium — Spiritual  Pulling  and  Haul- 
ing— Spirit-hands — Diabolism — Alarming  Wonders — Floating  in  the  Air 
— Wrestling  with  a  Spirit — Spiritual  Performances  and  Musical  Wonders 
— Intelligence  displayed — A  Funny  Spirit — Diabolical  Conduct — An 
Earthquake — A  rude  Spirit — A  Possession — Dr.  Hare's  Spirit-testing  Ma- 
chine—An Estimate  of  the  Subject. 

The  subject  of  Modern  Spiritualism  wUl  form  a  very 
remarkable  chapter  in  tbe  Book  of  the  Chronicles  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  Its  materials  are  now  rapidly  gath- 
ering in  volumes  large  and  small,  in  pamphlets  and  weekly 
papers,  that  will  employ  the  skill  and  ingenuity  of  some 
future  writer  to  set  forth  the  new  and  strange  combina- 
tions of  fact  and  fiction,  pecuhar  to  this  movement,  in 
well-adjusted  paragraphs  upon  the  reality,  romance,  and 
philosophy  of  modern  history. 

We  are  quite  too  early  for  an  attempt  of  this  kind, 
were  we  disposed  to  make  it ;  for  it  is  but  a  short  time 
since  the  installment  of  this  cause  as  a  superior  claimant 


20  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

for  public  attention  and  popular  favor.  Nothing  can 
therefore  be  expected  here  beyond  a  succinct  account  of 
its  origin  and  progress,  for  the  sake  of  completeness  to 
our  work,  and  for  the  satisfaction  of  those  of  our  readers 
who  have  been  swayed  more  by  contempt  than  by  curiosity 
in  regard  to  it.  That  this  may  be  done  in  the  most  ac- 
ceptable manner,  we  deem  it  best  to  let  our  Spirituahsts 
speak  for  themselves,  that  we  may  be  free  from  a  charge 
which  otherwise  might  be  thought  to  lie  against  us  on 
the  score  of  incompetency. 

The  quotations  in  this  chapter,  are  mainly  taken  from 
a  work  called  "  Modem  Spiritualism :  its  Facts  and  Fa- 
naticisms. ByE.W.  Capron."  Pp.  438.  This  work,  among 
the  early  publications  of  Spiritualists,  compiled  jGrom  a 
mass  of  facts  upon  which  the  system  is  built,  reaching 
down  to  October,  1854,  and  containing  the  deductions 
and  opinions  of  the  author  to  some  extent,  is  well  put  to- 
gether ;  and  is  much  prized  by  them  as  the  best  account, 
so  far  as  it  goes. 

Although  the  so-called  spiritual  demonstrations  are  but 
of  yesterday,  writers  in  defense  of  their  extra-mundane 
origin,  now  begin  to  draw  upon  antiquity  for  a  more  re- 
putable character  than  mere  modern  "  Knockings"  can 
furnish  to  the  "new  dispensation."  Hence  the  recent 
phenomena  are  considered  as  the  renewed  mutterings  and 
intonations  of  an  old  volcano,  long  since  thought  to  be 
burnt  out ;  but  whose  present  activity  reveals  a  great 
mistake  under  the  reign  of  which  many  generations  have 
unfortunately  lived  and  died.  Thus  the  aforesaid  author 
begins  his  introduction : 

"  In  searching  out  the  history  of  Spiritual  Manifesta- 
tions, or  occurrences  analogous  to  what  is  now  known  as 
the  modern  manifestations,  the  discovery  is  at  once  made 
that  they  date  back  to  a  period  so  remote  that  the  his- 


A   MATERIALIST'S   OPINION.  21 

tory  of  no  age  or  country  is  exempt  from  accomits  of 
them.  Histories  dating  back  further  than  any  thing 
known  or  recorded  in  the  Bible,  are  proof  of  their  being 
known  at  a  period  beyond  the  compilation  or  writing  of 
that  book ;  while  the  book  itself  contains  so  many  evi- 
dences of  precisely  similar  occurrences,  that  the  attentive 
reader  can  not  resist  the  conviction  that  the  occurrences 
were  the  same  in  fact,  whatever  the  people  of  that  age 
may  have  thought  of  them,  or  however  exaggerated  they 
made  their  importance  in  the  record.  By  comparing  the 
story  of  the  Witch  of  Endor  with  any  ordinary  case  of 
spirit-seeing  clairvoyance  of  the  present  time,  its  wonder, 
mystery,  and  sacredness,  beyond  that  sacredness  that 
truth  should  always  command,  at  once  disappear.  The 
spirit  that  passed  before  the  face  of  Job,  '  in  thoughts  of 
the  visions  of  night,  when  deep  sleep  falleth  upon  man,' 
is  no  uncommon  occurrence  at  the  present  day ;  while  the 
handwriting  on  the  walls  of  Belshazzar's  palace  has  its 
analogy  in  hundreds  of  instances  of  modern  spiritual  man- 
ifestations." 

After  quoting  a  long  narrative  dra^vn  up  by  Dr.  Adam 
Clark,  and  pubUshed  in  the  "  Memoirs  of  the  Wesley 
Family,"  containing  many  wonderful  things  terrifying  to 
mortals,  he  assures  us  that 

"Precisely  similar  occurrences  took  place  in  Wines- 
burg,  Germany,  and  other  places,  from  the  year  1825  to 
1828,  the  authentic  accounts  of  which  are  given  in  a  work 
by  Justinus  Kerner,  called  '  The  Seeress  of  Provorst.' 

"  The  '  Seeress'  was  a  clairvoyant,  and  both  saw  and 
heard  the  spirits  of  various  persons." 

In  accounting  for  these  phenomena,  it  will  be  seen  that 
Mr.  C.  is  a  materialist^  believing  that  spirit  is  Matter,  in 
its  most  refined  state,  in  which  it  has  the  attribute  of  in- 
telligence !     Thus  he  writes,  pp.  29-30 : 

"  There  must  certainly  exist  some  natural  cause^  by 
which  these  sounds  are  made.  By  natural  causes  I  do 
not  mean  that  the  cause  is  positively  known  to  man  at 
the  present  time,  or  that  it  is  produced  by  machinery  oi 


22  A   TnEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

collusion  ol  any  kind.  I  know  this  is  not  the  case.  But, 
as  nothing  can  exist  without  a  cause,  and  as  the  laws  of 
nature  are  the  most  perfect  of  any  thing  we  can  have  any 
conception  of;  and  as  nothing  of  which  man  or  any  other 
production  of  these  laws  can  conceive  or  recognize  can 
be  superior  or  above  these  laws,  (unless  it  be  the  source 
from  whence  they  originated,)  I  speak  of  the  laws  which 
govern  this  communication  between  inferior  and  superior 
intelligences  as  perfectly  NATUEAii.  I  ask  to  be  pointed  to 
nothing  superior  to  this  in  the  investigation  of  the  subject. 

"  Neither  would  I  make  the  separation  that  some  do 
between  spirit  and  matter.  I  am  convinced  that  no  such 
separation  exists.  It  is  at  the  same  time  to  assert  that  it 
is  something  and  nothing.  K  it  is  not  matter,  it  is  noth- 
ing. It  is  the  height  of  absurdity  to  assert  that  there  is 
an  absolute  existence,  and  yet  it  is  not  matter — it  is 
nothing,  yet  to  be  talked  of,  to,  and  about.  That  there 
exists  matter  too  refined,  subtile,  and  subHmated,  for  our 
vision  in  a  normal  state  to  observe,  is  undoubted ;  and  I 
have  as  httle  doubt  of  there  being  intelligent  beings  who, 
beyond  our  vision,  still  have  an  influence  upon  us,  and  are 
entirely  capable  of  communicating  with  us  through  sounds, 
impressions,  and  various  other  means.  It  is  no  more  proof 
that  they  are  not  thus  about  us,  because  not  seen,  than 
that  electricity,  or  the  numerous  animalculi©  which  we  are 
constantly  eating,  drinking,  and  breathing,  although  un- 
seen, do  not  exist  for  the  same  reason.  It  may  not  be 
unprofitable  to  go  into  the  examination  of  the  connection 
between  spirits  and  other  matter,  in  this  connection,  in 
order  that  the  reader's  mind  may  be  prepared  for  the  de- 
velopment of  facts  which  may  look  still  more  strange 
than  those  already  related. 

"  In  regard  to  the  rapping  sounds,  and  other  phenom- 
ena and  their  existence,  there  is  no  longer  room  for  doubt. 
The  tens  of  thousands  of  individuals  who  have  heard 
them,  and  who  have  been  in  full  possession  of  their  senses, 
and  not  easily  to  be  deceived,  are  abundant  testimony  on 
this  point. 

"  The  connection  between  spirit  and  other  matter,  or  be- 
tween the  visible  and  invisible  world  of  human  beings,  is 
at  present  little  imderstood.    I  am  of  the  opinion  that 


DEBUT    OF   THE   SPIRITS.  23 

the  connection  is  far  more  intimate  than  is  generally  be- 
lieved. Of  this  fact  there  is  the  most  positive  and  con- 
vincing proof.  Many  may  be  so  averse  to  receiving  nevr 
truths,  which  set  aside  all  their  preconceived  opinions,  as 
to  disregard  the  positive  evidence  of  their  senses.  But 
most  men  are  not  willing  to  admit  that  they  are  so  easily 
imposed  upon,  as  many  think,  or  pretend  to  think,  they 
are  themselves. 

"  The  highest  form  of  organization  of  which  we  have 
any  conception,  and  which  probably  is  the  highest^  is  that 
which  manifests  intelligence.  The  forms  of  intelligence, 
or  their  manifestations,  are  various,  defined  by  some  as 
instinct  and  reason.  It  is  useless  to  undertake  the  task 
of  tracing  them,  through  their  different  gradations,  up  to 
the  highest  developments  of  reason.  There  is  in  this,  as 
in  tracing  the  various  forms  of  vegetable  and  animal  life, 
a  connection  so  intimate  and  perfect,  that  it  is  impossible 
to  tell  where  the  lower  ends  and  the  higher  begins,  so 
closely  interwoven  are  the  links  of  the  great  chain  of 
which  each  is  a  part." 

The  manifestations,  said  to  be  made  by  spirits,  are 
abundant  and  various ;  and  our  selections  from  this  au- 
thor, will  be  mere  samples  of  what  are  published  in  many 
volumes.    We  go  on  with  our  quotations : 

DEBUT   OF   THE   SPIRITS. 

"The  house  at  which  the  manifestations  first  com- 
menced, that  have  turned  the  eyes  of  the  people  of  this 
generation  to  a  more  minute  and  careful  investigation  of 
spiritual  phenomena  than  has  characterized  any  preceding 
age,  stands  among  a  cluster  of  houses  known  by  the  name 
of  Hydesville,  in  the  town  of  Arcadia,  county  of  Wayne, 
and  State  of  New- York.  It  is  a  small  framed  building, 
one  and  a  half  stories  high,  and  at  the  time  of  the  occur- 
rences which  have  made  it  a  matter  of  interest  and  curi- 
osity to  so  many  thousands,  bore  unmistakable  evidences 
of  age ;  and  had  been  the  humble  shelter  of  many  a 
family  previous  to  that  of  Mr.  Fox. 

"The  family  of  Mr.   Fox  were  well  known  in  the 


24  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

neighborhood  where  they  resided.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox 
were  connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of 
which  they  had  for  many  years  been  exemplary  members, 
and  had  sustained  a  character  unimpeachable  for  truth 
and  veracity.  'No  one  who  knew  them  had  the  least  sus- 
picion of  their  honesty  or  truthfulness.  At  the  time  these 
occurrences  first  took  place  in  the  family  there  were  hving 
with  the  parents  three  daughters,  the  youngest  about 
twelve  years  of  age. 

"  The  following  statements,  condensed,  will  give  the 
account  of  the  first  disturbances  at  the  house  of  Sir.  Fox, 
in  their  own  language. 

"statement   of   MRS.   MAEGARET  FOX. 

^"  I  am  the  wife  of  John  D.  Fox.  We  moved  into  this 
house  on  the  11th  of  December,  1847,  and  have  resided 
here  ever  since.  We  first  heard  this  noise  about  a  fort- 
night ago.  It  sounded  like  some  one  knocking  in  the  east 
bedroom,  on  the  floor.  Sometimes  it  sounded  as  if  a 
chair  moved  on  the  floor ;  we  could  hardly  tell  where  it 
was.  This  was  in  the  evening,  just  after  we  had  gone  to 
bed.  The  whole  family  slept  in  the  room  together,  and 
all  heard  the  noise.  There  were  four  of  our  lamily,  and 
sometimes  five.  The  first  night  we  heard  the  rapping  we 
all  got  up,  lit  a  candle,  and  searched  all  over  the  house. 
The  noise  continued  while  we  were  hunting,  and  was 
heard  near  the  same  place  all  the  time.  It  was  not  very 
loud,  yet  it  produced  a  jar  of  the  bedsteads  and  chairs, 
that  could  be  felt  by  placing  our  hands  on  the  chairs,  or 
while  we  were  in  bed.  It  was  a  feeling  of  tremulous  mo- 
tion, more  than  a  sudden  jar.  It  seemed  if  we  could 
hear  it  jar  while  we  were  standing  on  the  floor.  It  con- 
tinued this  night  until  we  went  to  sleep.  I  did  not  go  to 
sleep  until  nearly  twelve  o'clock.  The  noise  continued 
to  be  heard  every  night.  On  Friday  night,  March  31st, 
it  was  heard  as  usual,  and  we  then,  for  the  first  time, 
called  in  the  neighbors.  Up  to  this  time  we  had  never 
heard  it  in  the  daytime,  or,  at  least,  we  did  not  notice  it 
at  all  during  the  day. 

'"On  Friday  night  we  concluded  to  go  to  bed  early. 


MRS.  fox's  statement.  25 

and  not  let  it  disturb  us ;  if  it  came  we  tliought  we  would 
not  mind  it,  but  try  to  get  a  good  night's  rest.  My  hus- 
band was  here  on  all  these  occasions,  heard  the  noise,  and 
helped  search.  It  was  very  early  when  we  went  to  bed 
this  night ;  hardly  dark.  We  went  to  bed  early,  because 
we  had  been  broken  so  much  of  our  rest  that  I  was  almost 
sick. 

"  '  My  husband  had  gone  to  bed  when  we  first  heard 
the  noise  this  evening.  I  had  just  laid  down  when  it 
commenced,  as  usual.  I  knew  it  from  all  other  noises  I 
had  ever  heard  in  the  house.  The  girls,  who  slept  in  the 
other  bed  in  the  room,  heard  the  noise,  and  tried  to  make 
a  similar  noise  by  snapping  their  fingers.  The  youngest 
girl  is  about  twelve  years  old.  She  is  the  one  who  made 
her  hand  go.  As  fast  as  she  made  the  noises  with  her 
hands  or  fingers,  the  sounds  followed  up  in  the  room.  It 
did  not  sound  difierent  at  that  time ;  but  it  made  the 
same  number  of  raps  the  girl  did.  When  she  stopped 
the  sounds  would  stop  for  a  short  time.  The  other  girl, 
who  is  in  her  fifteenth  year,  then  spoke,  in  sport,  and 
said,  "Now  do  just  as  I  do.  Count,  one,  two,  three, 
four,"  etc.,  at  the  same  time  striking  one  hand  in  the 
other.  The  blows  which  she  made  were  repeated,  as 
before.  It  appeared  to  answer  her  by  repeating  every 
blow  she  made.  She  only  did  so  once.  She  then  began 
to  be  startled,  and  I  said  to  the  noise,  "  Count  ten,"  and 
it  made  ten  strokes  or  noises.  Then  I  asked  the  ages  of 
my  difierent  children  successively,  and  it  gave  the  num- 
ber of  raps  corresponding  to  the  ages  of  each  of  my 
children. 

" '  I  then  asked  if  it  was  a  human  being  miking  the 
noise,  and,  if  so,  to  manifest  it  by  the  same  noise.  There 
was  no  noise.  I  then  asked  if  it  was  a  spirit  ?  if  it  was, 
to  manifest  it  by  two  sounds.  I  heard  two  sounds  as 
soon  as  the  words  were  spoken.  I  then  asked  if  it  was 
an  injured  spirit,  and,  if  so,  to  give  me  the  sound ;  and  I 
heard  the  rapping  distinctly.  I  then  asked  if  it  was  in- 
jured in  this  house,  and  the  sounds  were  immediately 
made,  distinctly ;  if  the  jDcrson  was  living  that  injured  it, 
and  got  the  same  answer.  I  then  ascertained,  by  the 
same  method,  that  its  remains  were  buried  under  the 


26  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

dwelling,  and  how  old  it  was.  When  I  asked  how  many 
years  old  it  was  it  raj^ped  thirty-one  times ;  that  it  was  a 
male ;  that  it  had  lel't  a  family  of  five  children ;  that  it 
had  two  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  living.  I  asked  if 
it  left  a  wife,  and  it  rapped  ;  if  its  wife  was  then  living, 
and  there  was  no  rapping ;  if  she  was  dead,  and  the  rap- 
ping was  distinctly  heard  ;  how  long  she  had  been  dead, 
and  it  rapped  twice. 

"  'About  this  time  I  asked,  "  Will  the  noise  continue 
if  I  call  in  some  of  the  neighbors,  that  they  may  hear  it 
too  ?"  It  answered  as  usual,  by  rapping.  My  husband 
went  and  called  Mrs.  Redfield,  our  next-door  neighbor. 
She  is  a  very  candid  woman.  The  girls  were  then  sitting 
up  in  bed,  somewhat  terrified,  and  cHnging  to  each  other. 
I  was  as  calm,  I  think,  as  I  am  now.  Mrs.  Redfield  came 
immediately.  This  was  about  half-past  seven  o'clock. 
She  came  in  thinking  to  joke  and  laugh  at  the  children  ; 
but  when  she  came  she  saw  that  we  were  all  amazed  like, 
and  that  there  was  something  in  it.  I  then  asked  a  few 
questions,  and  they  were  answered  as  before ;  and  she 
was  satisfied  that  there  was  something  strange  about  it. 
It  told  her  age  exactly.  She  would  then  call  her  husband, 
and  he  came,  and  the  same  questions  were  asked  over 
again,  and  the  answers  were  the  same  as  before.  It  was 
then  asked  how  long  it  had  been  injured,  and  the  sound 
was  repeated  four  times,  at  regular  intervals,  and  then, 
after  a  short  pause,  once  more  ;  the  same  being  repeated 
every  time  the  same  question  was  asked. 

"  '  Then  Mr.  Redfield  called  in  Mr.  Duesler  and  wife, 
and  several  others.  A  great  many  questions  were  asked 
over,  and  the  same  answers  given  as  before.  Mr.  Duesler 
then  called  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hyde ;  they  came,  and  also  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Jewell.  Mr.  Duesler  asked  many  questions,  and 
got  the  answers.  I  then  named  over  all  the  neighbors  I 
could  think  of,  and  asked  if  any  of  them  had  injured  it, 
and  got  no  answer.  Then  Mr.  Duesler  asked  it  some 
questions,  the  same  as  I  had,  and  got  the  same  answ^ers, 
He  asked  if  it  was  murdered,  and  it  answered  in  the  usual 
way ;  if  the  murderer  could  be  brought  to  justice,  and 
there  w^as  no  sound ;  and  then  if  he  could  be  punished 
by  law,  and  there  was  no  rapping.    He  then  asked,  "  If 


^ 


MES.  FOX'S   STATEMENT.  27 

this  murderer  can  not  be  punished  by  law,  manifest  it  by 
the  noise  ?"  and  the  noise  was  repeated.  In  the  same 
way  Mr.  Duesler  ascertained  that  it  was  murdered  m  the 
bedroom  about  five  years  ago,  and  that  the  murder  was 

committed    by  Mr. ,  on   one   Tuesday  night,   at 

twelve  o'clock  ;  that  it  was  murdered  by  having  its  throat 
^ut  with  a  butcher-knife ;  that  the  body  did  not  remain 
in  the  room  next  day,  but  was  taken  down  cellar,  and 
that  it  was  not  buried  until  the  next  night ;  that  it  was 
not  taken  down  through  an  outside  door,  but  through 
the  buttery,  down  the  stairway ;  that  it  was  buried  ten 
feet  below  the  surface  of  the  ground.  It  was  then  asked 
if  money  was  the  object  of  the  murderer ;  and  the  rapping 
commenced.  IIow  much  money  was  obtained  ?  Was  it 
one  hundred  dollars  ?  two  hundred  ?  three  hundred  ? 
four  hundred  ?  No  noise.  Five  hundred  ?  The  usual 
rapping  was  heard.  We  were  all  in  the  bedroom  at  the 
time. 

" '  Many  called  in  that  night  who  were  out  fishing  in 
the  creek,  and  they  all  heard  the  same  noise.  The  same 
questions  were  frequently  repeated  as  others  came  in,  and 
the  same  answers  were  obtained.  Some  of  them  staid 
here  all  night.  I  and  my  family  all  left  the  house  but 
my  husband.  I  went  to  Mrs.  Redfield's  and  staid  all 
night ;  my  children  staid  at  some  of  the  other  neighbors. 
My  husband  and  Mr.  Redfield  staid  in  the  house  all 
night. 

"  '  On  the  next  day  the  house  was  filled  to  overflowing 
all  day.  This  was  on  Saturday.  There  was  no  sound 
heard  during  the  day;  but  in  the  evening  the  sound 
commenced  again.  Some  said  that  there  were  three 
hundred  people  present  at  this  time.  They  appointed  a 
committee,  and  many  questions  were  asked.  I  did  not 
know  much  what  was  done  that  night,  only  by  hearsay, 
as  I  went  to  Mr.  Duesler's  to  stay  all  night. 

" '  On  Sunday  morning,  the  second  of  April,  the  noise 
commenced  again,  and  was  heard  throughout  the  day  by 
all  who  came  there.  On  Saturday  night  they  commenced 
digging  the  cellar,  and  dug  until  they  came  to  water,  and 
then  gave  it  up.  The  noise  was  not  heard  on  Sunday 
evening,  nor  during  the  night.     Stephen  B.  Smith  and 


m 


28  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

wife,  and  David  S.  Fox  and  wife,  slept  in  the  room  this 
night.  I  have  heard  nothing  since  that  time  lintil  yester- 
day. In  the  forenoon  of  yesterday  there  were  several 
questions  answered  in  the  usual  way  by  rapping.  I  have 
heard  the  noise  several  times  to-day. 

"  '  I  am  not  a  believer  in  haunted  houses  or  superna- 
tural appearances.  I  am  very  sorry  there  has  been  so 
much  excitement  about  it.  It  has  been  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  to  us.  It  was  our  misfortune  to  live  here  at  this 
time  ;  but  I  am  willing  and  anxious  that  the  truth  should 
be  known,  and  that  a  true  statement  should  be  made.  I 
can  not  account  for  these  noises  ;  all  that  I  know  is,  that 
they  have  been  heard  repeatedly,  as  I  have  stated.  I 
have  heard  this  rapping  again  this  (Tuesday)  morning, 
April  4th.     My  children  also  heard  it. 

"  '  I  certify  that  the  above  statement  has  been  read  to. 
me,  and  that  the  same  is  true  ;  and  I  am  willing  to  make 
oath  to  it  if  necessary.         (Signed)      Maegaret  Fox. 

"'April  11th,  1848.' 

"  Mr.  John  D.  Fox  gives  a  certificate  corroborating 
his  wife's  statement  in  every  particular,  and  says  :  '  I  do 
not  know  in  what  way  to  account  for  these  noises,  as 
being  caused  by  natural  means.  We  have  searched  in 
every  nook  and  corner  in  and  about  the  house,  at  difierent 
times,  to  ascertain,  if  possible,  whether  any  thing  or  any 
body  was  secreted  there  that  could  make  the  noise  ;  and 
have  never  been  able  to  find  any  thing  that  explained  the 
mystery.  It  has  caused  us  a  great  deal  of  trouble  and 
anxiety.  Hundreds  have  visited  the  house,  so  that  it  is 
impossible  to  attend  to  our  daily  occupations ;  and  I 
hope,  whether  it  be  natural  or  supernatural,  the  means 
will  be  found  out  soon." 

OF   WILLIAM  DUESLEE. 

"  '  I  live  in  this  place.  I  moved  from  Cayuga  county 
here  last  October.  I  five  within  a  few  rods  of  the  house 
in  which  these  noises  have  been  heard.  The  first  I  heard 
any  thing  about  them  was  one  week  ago  last  Friday  even- 
ing, (31st  day  of  March.)  Mrs.  Redfield  came  over  to  my 
house  to  get  my  wife  to  go  over  to  Mr.  Fox's.     Mrs. 


ME.  DUESLER'S  STATEMENT.  29 

Redfield  appeared  to  be  very  much  agitated.  My  wife 
wanted  I  should  go  with  them,  and  I  accordingly  went. 
"When  she  told  us  what  she  wanted  us  to  go  over  there 
for,  I  laughed  at  her,  and  ridiculed  the  idea  that  there 
was  any  thing  mysterious  in  it.  I  told  her  it  was  all  non- 
sense, and  that  it  could  easily  be  accounted  for.  This 
>^as  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  There  were  some 
twelve  or  fourteen  persons  there  when  I  got  there.  Some 
were  so  frightened  that  they  did  not  want  to  go  into  the 
room.  I  went  into  the  room  and  sat  down  on  the  bed. 
Mr.  Fox  asked  questions,  and  I  heard  the  rapping,  which 
they  had  spoken  of,  distinctly.  I  felt  the  bedstead  jar 
when  the  sound  was  produced. 

"  '  Mrs.  Fox  then  asked  if  it  would  answer  my  ques- 
tions if  I  asked  any,  and  if  so,  rap.  It  then  rapped  three 
times.  I  then  asked  if  it  was  an  injured  spirit,  and  it 
rapped.  I  asked  if  it  had  come  to  hurt  any  one  who  was 
present,  and  it  did  not  rap.  I  then  reversed  this  question, 
and  it  rapped.  I  asked  if  I  or  my  father  had  injured  it, 
(as  we  had  formerly  Hved  in  the  house ;)  there  was  no 
noise.    Upon  asking  the  negative  of  these  questions,  the 

rapping  was  heard.     I  then  asked  if  Mr. (naming  a 

person  who  had  formerly  lived  in  the  house)  had  injured 
it,  and  if  so  to  manifest  it  by  rapping ;  and  it  made  three 
knocks  louder  than  common,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
bedstead  jarred  more  than  it  had  done  before.  I  then 
inquired  if  it  was  murdered  for  money,  and  the  knocking 
was  heard.  I  then  requested  it  to  rap  when  I  mentioned 
the  sum  of  money  for  which  it  was  murdered.  I  then 
asked  if  it  was  one  hundred,  two,  or  three,  or  four,  and 
when  I  came  to  five  hundred  the  rapping  was  heard.  All 
in  the  room  said  they  heard  it  distmctly.  I  then  asked 
the  question  if  it  was  five  hundred  dollars,  and  the  rap- 
ping was  heard. 

"  '  After  this,  I  went  over  and  got  Artemas  W.  Hyde 
to  come  over.  He  came  over.  I  then  asked  over  nearly 
the  same  questions  as  before,  and  got  the  same  answers. 
Mr.  Redfield  went  after  David  Jewell  and  wife,  and  Mrs. 
Hyde  also  came.  After  they  came  in,  I  asked  the  same 
questions  over  again,  and  got  the  same  answers. 

" '  Then  I  asked  the  question  how  it  was  murdered.    I 


30  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

asked  if  it  was  murdered  by  being  struck  on  the  head, 
and  there  was  no  rap.  I  then  reversed  the  question,  and 
the  rapping  was  heard.  Then  I  asked  if  it  was  stabbed 
in  the  side,  and  there  was  no  answer ;  upon  asking  the 
negative  of  this,  the  rapping  was  heard.  It  usually 
rapped  three  times  in  answer  to  my  questions.  I  then 
asked  if  it  had  its  throat  cut,  and  it  rapped  as  usual. 
Then,  if  it  was  with  a  butcher-knife,  and  the  rapping  was 
heard.  In  the  same  way  it  was  ascertained  that  it  was 
asleep  at  the  time,  but  was  awakened  when  the  knife  en- 
tered the  throat ;  that  it  struggled  and  made  some  resist- 
ance and  noise.  Then  I  asked  if  there  was  any  one  in 
the  house  at  the  time  but  him,  and  it  did  not  rap ;  then, 
if  they  two  were  alone,  and  the  rapping  was  heard.  I 
then  asked  if  Lucretia  Pulver  worked  there  at  the  time, 

and  it  answered  by  rapping ;  if  she  and  Mrs. were 

gone  away  that  night,  and  the  rapping  was  renewed. 

" '  There  was  rapping  heard  only  when  we  asked  ques- 
tions.    I  asked  if  any  one  in  Hydesville  knew  of  the 

murder,  except ,  and  it  rapped.    Then  I  asked  about 

a  number  of  persons,  if  they  knew  it,  and  there  was  no 

rap  until  I  came  to  Mrs. ,  and  then  the  rapping  was 

heard ;  then,  if  any  one  but and  wife  knew  it,  and  I 

got  no  rap ;  then,  if  they  were  all  that  knew  of  the  mur- 
der, and  I  got  the  rap.  I  asked  if  the  body  was  put  in 
the  cellar,  and  it  rapped.  I  then  asked  if  it  was  buried 
in  the  different  parts  of  the  cellar,  and  to  all  my  questions 
there  was  no  rapping  until  I  asked  if  it  was  near  the  cen- 
tre, and  the  rapping  was  heard. 

" '  Charles  Redfield  then  went  down  cellar  with  a  can- 
dle. I  told  him  to  place  himself  in  different  parts  of  the 
cellar ;  and,  as  he  did  so,  I  asked  the  question,  if  the  per- 
son was  over  the  place  where  it  was' buried,  and  I  got  no 
answer  imtU  he  got  over  a  certain  place  in  the  cellar, 
when  it  rapped.  He  then  stepped  one  side,  and  when  I 
asked  the  question,  there  was  no  noise.  This  was  re- 
peated several  times ;  and  we  found  that,  whenever  we 
stood  over  this  one  place,  the  rapping  was  heard,  and 
whenever  he  moved  away  from  that  place  there  was  no 
answer  to  my  questions.  Mr.  Redfield  said  he  could  hear 
the  noise  himself.    I  then  asked  which  way  it  was  carried 


MR.  DUESLER'S   STATEMENT.  SI 

down  cellar ;  if  round  through  the  outside  door,  and  there 
was  no  rapping ;  then,  if  it  was  down  through  the  but- 
tery, by  the  inside  stairway,  and  the  rapping  was  heard. 
I  then  asked  it  to  raj)  my  age — the'  number  of  years  of 
my  age.  It  rapped  thirty  times.  This  is  my  age,  and  I 
do4iot  think  any  one  about  here  knew  my  age  except 
myself  and  family.  I  then  told  it  to  rap  my  wife's  age, 
and  it  rapped  thirty  times,  which  is  her  exact  age ;  seve- 
ral of  us  counted  it  at  the  time.  I  then  asked  it  to  rap 
A.  W.  Hyde's  age,  and  it  rapped  thirty-two,  which  he 
says  is  his  age ;  he  was  there  at  the  time,  and  counted  it 
with  the  rest  of  us.  Then  Mrs.  A.  W.  Hyde's  age,  and 
it  rapped  thirty-one,  which  she  said  was  her  age ;  she  was 
also  there  at  the  time.  I  then  continued  to  ask  it  to  rap 
the  age  of  different  persons  (naming  them)  in  the  room, 
and  it  did  so  correctly,  as  they  all  said. 

"  '  I  then  asked  the  number  of  children  in  the  different 
families  in  the  neighborhood,  and  it  told  them  correctly 
in  the  usual  way  by  rapping.  Also  the  number  of  deaths 
that  had  taken  place  in  the  families,  and  it  told  correctly. 
I  then  asked  it  to  rap  its  own  age,  and  it  rapped  thirty- 
one  times  distinctly.  I  then  asked  it  if  it  left  a  family, 
and  it  rapped.  I  asked  it  to  rap  the  number  of  children 
left,  and  it  rapped  five  times ;  then  the  number  of  girls, 
and  it  rapped  three ;  then  the  number  of  boys,  and  it 
rapped  twice.  Before  this,  I  had  asked  if  it  was  a  man, 
and  it  answered  by  rapping  it  was ;  if  it  was  a  peddler, 
and  it  rapped. 

" '  I  then  asked  in  regard  to  the  time  it  was  murdered, 
and  in  the  usual  way,  by  asking  the  different  days  of  the 
week,  and  the  different  hours  of  the  day ;  that  it  was 
murdered  on  a  Tuesday  night,  about  twelve  o'clock.  The 
rapping  was  heard  only  when  this  particular  time  was 
mentioned.  When  it  was  asked  if  it  was  murdered  on  a 
Wednesday,  or  Thursday,  or  Friday  night,  etc.,  there 
was  no  rapping.  I  asked  if  it  carried  any  trunk,  and  it 
rapped  that  it  did.  Then  how  many,  and  it  rapped  once. 
In  the  same  way  we  ascertained  that  it  had  goods  in  the 

trunk,  and  that took  them  when  he  murdered 

him ;  and  that  he  had  a  pack  of  goods  besides. 

" '  I  asked  if  its  wife  was  living,  and  it  did  not  rap ;  if 


32  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

she  was  dead,  and  it  rapped.  I  then  asked  it  to  rap  the 
number  of  years  the  wife  had  been  dead,  and  it  rapped 
twice.  In  the  same  „way  I  ascertained  that  its  children 
were  now  living, — ^that  they  lived  in  this  State ;  and,  after 
asking  if  in  such  and  such  county  (naming  over  the  dif- 
ferent counties,)  at  last,  when  I  asked  if  they  lived  in  Or- 
leans county,  the  rapping  was  heard,  and  at  no  other 
time.  This  was  tried  over  several  times,  and  the  result 
was  always  the  same.  I  then  tried  to  ascertain  the  first 
letters  of  its  name  by  calling  over  the  different  letters  of 
the  alphabet.  I  commenced  with  A,  and  asked  if  that 
was  the  initial  of  its  first  name ;  there  was  no  rapping. 
When  I  came  to  C,  the  rapping  was  heard,  and  at  no 
other  letter  in  the  alphabet.  I  then  asked,  in  the  same 
way,  in  regard  to  the  initials  of  its  surname ;  and  when  I 
asked  if  it  was  R,  the  rapping  commenced.  We  then 
tried  all  the  other  letters,  but  could  get  no  answer  by  the 
usual  rapping.  I  then  asked  if  we  could  find  out  the 
whole  name  by  reading  over  all  the  letters  of  the  alpha- 
bet, and  there  was  no  rapping.  I  then  reversed  the  ques- 
tion, and  the  rapping  was  heard.  *  *  *  *  There  were  a 
good  many  more  questions  asked  on  that  night,  by  my- 
self and  others,  which  I  do  not  now  remember.  They 
were  all  answered  readily  in  the  same  way.  I  staid  in 
the  house  until  about  twelve  o'clock,  and  then  came  home. 
Mr.  Redfield  and  Mr.  Fox  staid  in  the  house  that 
night. 

"'Saturday  night  I  went  over  again,  about  seven 
o'clock.  The  house  was  full  of  people  when  I  got  there. 
They  said  it  had  been  rapping  some  time.  I  went  into 
the  room.  It  was  rapping  in  answer  to  questions  Avhen  I 
went  in.  I  went  to  asking  questions,  and  asked  over 
some  of  the  same  ones  that  I  did  the  night  before,  and  it 
answered  me  the  same  as  it  did  then.  I  also  asked  dif- 
ferent questions,  and  it  answered  them.  Some  of  those 
in  the  room  wanted  me  to  go  out,  and  let  some  one  else 
ask  the  questions.  I  did  so,  and  came  home.  There 
were  as  many  as  three  hundred  people  in  and  around  the 
house  at  thi^  time,  I  should  think.  Hiram  Soverhill  Esq., 
and  Volney  Brown,  asked  it  questions  while  I  was  there, 
and  it  rapped  in  answer  to  them. 


1 


MB.  dueslek's  statement.  33 

" '  I  went  over  again  on  Sunday,  between  one  and  two 
o'clock,  P.  M.  I  went  into  the  cellar  with  several  others, 
and4iad  them  all  leave  the  house  over  our  heads;  and 
then  I  asked  if  there  had  been  a  man  buried  in  the  cellar, 
to  manifest  it  by  rapping,  or  any  other  noise  or  sign.  The 
moment  I  asked  the  question,  there  was  a  sound  like  the 
falling  of  a  stick,  about  a  foot  long,  and  half  an  inch 
through,  on  the  floor  in  the  bedroom  over  our  heads.  It 
did  not  seem  to  bound  at  all ;  there  was  but  one  sound. 
I  then  told  Stephen  Smith  to  go  right  up  and  examine 
the  room,  and  see  if  he  could  discover  the  cause  of  the 
noise.  He  came  back,  and  said  he  could  discover  noth- 
ing— that  there  was  no  one  in  the  room  or  in  that  part 
of  the  house.  I  then  asked  two  more  questions,  and  it 
rapped  in  the  usual  way.  We  all  went  up  stairs  and 
made  a  thorough  search,  but  could  find  nothing. 

"  '  I  then  got  a  knife  and  fork,  and  tried  to  see  if  I 
could  make  the  same  noise  by  dropping  them;  but  I 
could  not.  This  was  all  I  heard  on  Sunday.  There  is 
only  one  floor,  or  partition,  or  thickness,  between  the 
bedroom  and  the  cellar ;  no  place  where  any  thing  could 
be  secreted  to  make  the  noise.  When  this  noise  was 
heard  in  the  bedroom,  I  could  hear  a  slight  tremulous 
motion  or  jar. 

" '  There  was  some  digging  in  the  cellar  on  Saturday 
night.  They  dug  until  they  came  to  water,  and  then 
gave  it  up.  The  question  had  been  previously  asked 
whether  it  was  right  that  they  should  dig  on  that  night, 
and  there  was  no  rapping.  Then,  whether  it  was  wrong, 
and  the  rapping  was  heard.  Whether  they  should  dig 
on  Sunday;  no  rapping.  On  Monday;  rapping  com- 
menced again.  However,  some  insisted  on  digging  at 
this  time,  and  dug  accordingly  ;  but  without  success. 

"'On  Monday  night,  I  heard  this  noise  again,  and 
asked  the  same  questions  I  did  before,  and  got  the  same 
answers.  This  is  the  last  time  I  have  heard  any  rapping. 
I  can  in  no  way  account  for  this  singular  noise  which  I 
and  others  have  heard.  It  is  a  mystery  to  me  which  I  am 
wholly  unable  to  solve.  I  am  willing  to  testify  under 
oath  that  I  did  not  make  the  noises  or  rapping  which  I 
and  others  heard ;  that  I  do  not  know  of  any  person  who 
2* 


34  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

did  or  could  have  made  them ;  that  I  have  spent  consi- 
derable time,  since  then,  in  order  to  satisfy  myself  as  to 
the  cause  of  it,  but  can  not  account  for  it  on  any  other 
ground  than  that  it  is  supernatural.  I  lived  in  the  same 
house  about  seven  years  ago,  and  at  that  time  never 
heard  any  noises  of  the  kind  in  and  about  the  premises. 
I  have  understood  from  Johnson  and  others,  who  have 

lived  there  before moved  there,  that  there 

were  no  such  sounds  heard  there  while  they  occupied  the 
house.  I  never  believed  in  haunted  houses,  or  heard  or 
saw  any  thing  but  what  I  could  account  for  before  ;  but 
this  I  can  not  account  for. 

*'  (Signed)  '  Wm.  Dueslee.' 
"'April  19,  1848.'" 

Some  ten  other  witnesses  are  given  to  corroborate 
the  aforesaid  facts,  and  "  Mr.  David  S.  Fox  gives  a  state- 
ment confirming  the  others  heretofore  recorded,  and  says, 
furthermore,  that  '  There  is  no  place  about  the  house  in 
which  any  person  could  be  secreted  so  as  to  produce 
these  sounds.  There  is  only  one  floor  between  this  bed- 
room and  the  cellar.  *  *  *  I  was  here  (at  the  house)  on 
Monday,  the  3d  of  April,  and  we  commenced  digging 
again  in  the  cellar,  and  bailing  out  the  water ;  but  we 
found  it  impossible  to  make  much  headway.  On  Tuesday 
evening  they  began  digging  again.  I  got  a  pump,  and 
we  took  up  the  floor,  and  put  it  into  the  hole,  and  began 
to  pump  and  bail  out  the  water  at  the  same  time.  We 
could  not  lower  the  water  much,  and  had  to  give  it  up. 
The  water  is  now  in  the  hole,  although  it  is  lowering 
gradually.' 

"Such  is  the  testimony — ^unimpeachable  and  conclu- 
sive— of  the  first  occurrences  at  Hydesville.  The  wit- 
nesses estabhsh,  beyond  the  possibility  of  a  doubt,  the 
presence  of  some  unseen  and  intelligent  agency  in  pro- 
ducing these  sounds.  But  this  was  not  the  only  kind  of 
evidence  by  which  the  invisible  presence  was  to  be 
proved.  As  the  family  and  their  friends  became  more 
familiar  with  the  mysterious  visitants,  and  could  converse 
without  alarm,  other  manifestations  began  to  be  made, 
exhibiting,  in  a  more  astonishing  manner,  the  command 


MR.  FOX'S    STATEMENT.  35 

of  the  communicators  over  the  elements,  by  which  was 
created  at  will  any  sound  that  might  be  desired.  Thus, 
the  intelligence  claiming  to  be  the  spirit  of  the  murdered 
man  would  produce  a  sound  like  the  death-struggle,  the 
gurgling  in  the  throat,  etc.,  of  a  man  whose  throat  was 
cut ;  then  the  sound  of  dragging  a  lifeless  body  across 
the  room,  down  the  stairs,  the  feet  striking  on  each  step ; 
then  a  sound  as  if  shovelling  dirt  in  the  cellar,  the  nailing 
of  boards,  and  the  filling  up  of  the  hastily-made  grave — 
all  sounding  as  perfectly  natural  as  if  you  had  stood  in 
the  grave-yard,  and  heard  the  clods  descend  upon  the 
last  resting-place  of  the  body  of  a  friend.  I  have  myself 
heard  the  same,  and  it  was  hard,  indeed,  to  convince  one's 
self  that  it  was  not  a  reality  instead  of  a  mere  represen- 
tation. Another  sound  was  produced  like  that  of  pour- 
ing a  quantity  of  clotted  blood  from  a  pail  on  to  the  floor. 
This  sound  would  come  suddenly,  when  the  family,  or 
some  portion  of  it,  sat  in  a  room,  not  thinking  of  the 
manifestations ;  and  the  first  thought  would  be  that  some 
one  had  poured  down  a  whole  pailful  of  something,  that 
would  fall  like  so  much  blood,  or,  as  the  family  expressed 
it,  '  lobbered  milk.' " 

THE  FIRST  MEDIUM. 

"  It  was  some  time  before  the  spirits  exhibited  any  pre- 
ference for  any  one  of  the  family,  or  seemed  to  require 
the  presence  of  one  more  than  the  other,  in  order  to  pro- 
duce the  various  sounds  and  movements.  At  length  they 
discovered  that  Catharine,  the  youngest  girl,  seemed  to 
be  required  in  order  to  obtain  the  communications.  She 
was  then  in  the  twelfth  year  of  her  age.  This  was  the 
first  discovery  of  mediumship  in  that  family.  Indeed,  it 
is  the  first  case  of  acknowledged  mediumship  for  sounds, 
so  far  as  I  am  able  to  discover,  that  the  world  has  been 
made  acquainted  with.  There  have  been  those  who  were 
undoubted  mediums,  and  were  attended  by  similar  demon- 
strations ;  but  they  have  not  been  characterized  by  the 
intelligence  that  has  uniformly  attended  this  family.  The 
exhibition  of  intelligence  heretofore  has  been  only  in  rare 
cases,  and  for  a  short  time,  to  disappear  and  remain   a 


m 


it    '    .* 

M  A  THKEE-FOLD  TEST. 

wonder  to  the  recipients  of  the  strange  visitations.  But 
here  they  have  remained  to  explain  themselves,  and  si- 
lence for  ever  all  doubts  in  regard  to  the  power  of  unseen 
intelligences  to  communicate  with  the  inhabitants  of  this 
visible  world." 

"  There  are  many  circumstances  going  to  make  up  a 
case  of  circumstantial  proof  that  there  was,  at  some  time, 
a  murder  committed  in  the  house.  To  this  effect,  so  far 
as  spiritual  manifestations  are  concerned,  is  the  testimony 
of  Miss  and  Mrs.  Pulver.  There  is,  aside  from  this,  enough 
to  establish  very  reasonable  suspicions  in  regard  to  the 
transactions  of  a  certain  family  who  formerly  occupied 
the  house. 

"  In  addition  to  this,  it  is  a  fact  not  generally  known, 
that,  in  the  summer  of  1848,  Henry  Bush  and  Lyman  Gran- 
ger, of  Rochester,  and  David  S.  Fox,  and  others,  of  Ar- 
cadia, recommenced  digging  in  the  cellar  of  the  house ; 
and,  after  digging  about  five  feet,  came  to  a  plank,  through 
wliich  they  bored  with  an  auger,  which,  on  boring  through, 
(the  auger  being  loose  in  the  handle,)  fell  through,  out  of 
sight.  On  digging  further  they  found  several  human 
teeth,  and  a  few  bones,  and  some  hair,  which  evidently 
came  from  a  human  head,  although  no  connected  bones 
or  skull  were  found.  They  also  found  a  quantity  of  char- 
coal at  the  same  depth.  This  shows,  most  incontestably, 
that  the  ground,  at  some  time,  had  been  disturbed,  and 
these  things  deposited.  This,  taken  with  the  evidence  of 
the  family,  on  whom  suspicion  fell,  having  sundry  articles, 
in  a  very  mysterious  w^ay,  about  the  time  the  murder  was 
said  to  have  been  committed,  is  enough,  at  least,  to  give 
a  shade  of  circumstantial  evidence  in  favor  of  the  truth  of 
the  allegation  of  the  spirit  in  regard  to  the  murder." 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  is  the  next  place,  where,  our  histor- 
ian informs  us,  the  Spirits  displayed  their  power. 

spiritual  pulling  and  hauling. 

"  Notwithstanding  the  facts  were  concealed  from  the 
public,  it  is  worthy  to  be  noted  that,  during  the  early  part 
of  the  manifestations  at  Rojhcyter,  many  demonstrations 


PULLING   AND    HAULING.  37 

were  made  which  looked  like  a  disposition  to  create  dis- 
turbance, without  any  other  apparent  object  than  mischief. 
Mr.  Calvin  R.  Brown,  before  spoken  of,  was  not,  at  first, 
particularly  friendly  to  the  spirits,  and  they  seemed  to  re- 
ciprocate the  feeling  by  constantly  annoying  him.  The 
spirits  would  come  to  his  bed,  lift  it  up,  shake  it,  seize  his 
bed-clothes  and  carry  them  away,  or  whip  him  with  them. 
At  times  he  would  seize  the  clothes,  as  they  were  going 
off,  determined  to  dispute  the  right  of  possession  with  the 
spirits.  He  would  brace  himself  and  pull  with  all  his 
might ;  and,  when  exerting  himself  to  the  utmost,  the 
spirit  would  mischievously  let  go  suddenly,  and  Mr. 
Brown,  of  course,  would  be  thrown  over  backwards. 
Sometimes  Mr.  Brown  would  suddenly  let  go,  under  like 
circumstances,  and  the  clothes  would  fly  to  the  other  side 
of  the  room.  At  times  a  sheet  would  come  up  to  his  bed, 
as  if  held  up  by  a  person,  and  then  drop  down. 

"  One  night  the  spirits  came  to  his  bed  with  a  cane,  and 
commenced  striking  tremendous  blows  on  the  wall  at  the 
head  of  his  bed,  just  missing  his  head  and  face.  He  seiz- 
ed the  cane,  and  got  possession  of  it.  Soon  they  came 
Avith  a  broom-handle,  to  which  was  attached  the  worn-out 
stump  of  the  broom.  With  this  they  commenced  strik- 
ing, as  before,  until  he  seized  that  also.  With  these  two 
sticks  he  made  a  kind  of  fender  for  his  face,  by  placing 
one  end  of  them  on  his  head-board  and  the  other  on  his 
breast.  Then  the  spirit  came  with  a  strip  of  lath,  and 
commenced  beating  the  sticks  directly  over  his  face.  He 
finally  took  the  stick  away  and  kept  all  of  them  where  he 
could  keep  his  hand  upon  them.  The  next  salutation  was 
an  old  iron  candle-stick,  thrown  violently,  and  just  graz- 
ing his  upper  lip  so  as  to  break  the  skin.  At  intervals, 
during  all  the  time  they  were  whipping  him  with  the  sticks, 
they  would  spell  out,  "  Kneel  down  and  ask  our  forgive- 
ness." He  had  nothing  to  ask  such  favors  for,  and  told 
them  he  would  not  do  it  if  they  strung  him  up  between 
the  heavens  and  earth.  They  would  then  renew  hostili- 
ties. After  cutting  his  lip  all  was  silent,  as  though  they 
felt  that  they  had  gone  too  far,  or  made  a  mistake.  They 
never  told  him  to  ask  forgiveness  again.  After  a  short 
time  they  began  to  throw  balls  of  carpet-rags,  from  a  bas- 


38    ^  A  TUEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

ket  in  the  room,  some  dozen  or  more  of  which  hit  him 
every  one  on  the  forehead,  in  precisely  the  same  spot. 
Some  sixty  in  all  were  thrown.  Many  were  the  kinds  of 
disturbance  that  Mr.  Brown  was  subjected  to  before  he 
became  fully  convinced  that  they  were  caused  by  spirits." 

"  About  this  time  very  powerful  physical  manifestations 
commenced  in  the  family  of  Deacon  Hale,  of  Greece,  a 
town  adjoining  the  city  of  Rochester.  In  this  case  the 
spirits  evinced  a  remarkable  degree  of  physical  power, 
such  as  moving  heavy  stoves  and  other  articles  of  furni- 
ture. 

"  The  vibratory  sounds  were  also  produced  in  the  family 
of  Rev.  A.  H.  Jarvis,  a  Methodist  clergyman,  residing  in 
Rochester,  soon  after  their  commencement  with  the  Fox 
family.  Substantially  the  same  phenomena  were  observed 
in  the  other  cases.  Many  very  beautiful  communications 
were  given,  containing  in  themselves  overwhelming  testi- 
mony of  spiritual  power  and  foresight. 

"  The  following  letter  from  that  gentlemen  to  the  author 
will  give  a  strong  case  of  telegraphing,  at  a  very  early 
period  of  the  modern  manifestations  : 

"  '  There  are  many  facts  which  have  come  under  m^ 
observation  equally  convincing  of  the  intelUgence  and  uti- 
lity of  the  communications  from  these  unseen  agents,  who, 
I  now  believe,  are  continually  about  us,  and  more  perfect- 
ly acquainted  with  all  our  ways,  and  even  our  thoughts, 
than  we  are  with  each  other.  But  the  fact,  in  reference 
to  my  friend  Pickard,  is  what  you  desire.  He  was  at  my 
house  on  Friday  afternoon,  April  6th,  1849.  None  of  the 
Fox  family  were  present.  While  at  the  tea-table  we  had 
free  communications  on  different  subjects.  Pickard  was 
requested  to  ask  questions.  He  desired  to  know  who  it 
was  that  would  answer  questions.  The  answer  was,  '  I 
am  your  mother,  Mary  Pickard.'  Her  name  or  the  fact 
of  her  death  was  not  known  to  any  of  us.  The  next  Mon- 
day evening  he  (Pickard)  was  at  Mr.  G — 's  and  tarried 
there  over  night.  He  there  received  a  communication, 
purporting  to  be  from  his  mother,  saying,  '  Your  child  is 
dead.'    He  came  immediately  to  my  place,  and  said  he 


SPIRIT-HANDS.  ,||,     39 

should  take  the  stage  for  home,  (Lockport,  sixty  miles  dis- 
tant.) He  left  in  the  stage  at  8  or  9  A.M.  At  12  M.  I 
returned  to  my  house,  my  wife  meeting  me  with  a  tele- 
graph envelope.  I  broke  the  seal  and  read  mentally,  first, 
as  follows : 

"  'Rochester,  April  10,  1849. 
"  '  By  telegraph  from  Lockport  to  Rev.  A.  H.  Jarvis, 
No.  4  West  street.     Tell  Mr.  Pickard — if  you  can  find  him 
— his  childL  died  this  morning.    Answer    R.  Mallory.' 

"  '  I  then  read  it  to  my  wife,  and  said  "  This  is  one  of 
the  best  and  most  convincing  evidences  of  the  intelligence 
of  those  invisible  agents ;"  and  then  I  added  "  God's  tele- 
graph has  outdone  Morse's  altogether."      Yours  truly, 

"  '  A.  H.  Jarvis. 

"  'To  E.  W.  Capron,  Auburn.'  » 

The  next  place  mentioned,  where  these  manifestations 
took  place,  is  Auburn,  N.  Y.  We  can  not  specify  what 
they  were,  beyond  the  assurance  of  Mr.  0.  that  they 
"  were  various  and  astonishing,"  and  "  have  scarcely  been 
excelled." 

SPIRIT-HANDS. 

"  I  (and  all  who  have  taken  pains  to  get  at  the  facts  oi 
all  these  demonstrations)  have  frequently  had  a  hand  laid 
on  my  arms,  shoulders,  or  head,  when  no  person  would  or 
could  do  it,  having  all  their  hands  held  by  each  other. 
These  demonstrations,  Hke  the  others,  generally  leave  a 
feeling  of  electricity  where  they  touch.  The  hand  feels 
much  like  one  of  a  person  who  is  in  a  magnetic  sleep,  be- 
ing colder  (generally)  than  the  hand  of  persons  in  a  nor- 
mal state,  and  having  a  moisture  like  a  cold  perspiration 
upon  it.  There  is  not,  usually,  any  feeling  like  that  of  a 
hard  hand,  or  one  made  up  with  the  usual  amount  of  bones 
in  it.  It  is  generally  soft  and  smooth,  although,  at  our 
request,  it  will  change  both  its  temperature  and  texture. 
It  will  in  one  instant  feel  as  cool  as  ice  and  as  warm  as  a 
common  hand  of  flesh. 

"So  perfectly  natural  is  the  touch,  when  an  arm  is  taken 


♦ 


40     ifc  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

hold  of  by  this  invisible  hand,  or  it  touches  in  any  other 
way,  that,  although  you  hold  every  hand  in  the  room, 
you  can  hardly  believe  it  to  be  other  than  some  of  them. 
But  the  proof  is  positive  and  the  witnesses  are  numerous. 
Then,  too,  just  request  a  change  from  natural  warmth  to 
the  coldness  of  ice,  and  you  feel  the  change  without  the 
hand  being  removed.  It  is  past  the  art  of  man  thus  to 
change  the  temperature  of  his  body." 

DIABOLISM. 

"  Among  the  varieties  of  manifestations,  purporting  to 
be  spiritual  in  this  locahty,  there  were  often  indications 
of  pure  diabolism  ;*  one  of  the  most  remarkable  instances 
of  which  was  as  follows :  In  the  spring  of  1849,  an  indi- 
vidual by  the  name  of  Baham  was  hung  at  Auburn  for  the 
murder  of  a  peddler  named  Adler.  He  was  clearly  prov- 
ed guilty  of  the  crime,  but  persisted  to  the  last  in  assert- 
ing his  innocence.  During  the  last  days  of  his  earthly  ex- 
istence he  manifested  a  very  wicked  spirit,  cursing  all  who 
were  instrumental  in  demonstrating  his  guilt — of  whom 
was  one  of  his  brothers  who  was  connected  with  him  in 
the  criminal  affair ;  and  finally  upon  the  scaffold,  his  last 
words  were  qualified  by  an  oath.  At  the  time  of  his  exe- 
cution, a  seeing  medium — a  young  lady — was  rendered 
clairvoyant,  that  she  might  witness  the  operation,  and,  if 
possible,  observe  the  separation  of  body  and  spirit,  and 
the  manifestation  of  the  latter.  The  medium  claimed  to 
have  witnessed  the  execution ;  and  described  the  occur- 
rences from  stage  to  stage,  until  the  final  scene  when  the 
drop  fell,  which  was  so  revolting  and  terrible  in  its  ap- 
pearance, that  she  fainted.  From  this  time  what  purport- 
ed to  be  the  spirit  of  the  executed  man  very  often  com- 
municated through  her.  On  these  occasions  the  spirit  ut- 
tered passionate  maledictions  against  those  whom  he  con- 
sidered his  enemies — declaring  repeatedly  that  he  would 
have  revenge  and  that  he  would  ere  long  take  the  life  of 
some  of  the  Auburn  people,  all  of  whom  he  considered  res- 
ponsible in  a  degree  for  his  unpleasant  removal  to  the  world 
of  spirits.     Thus  matters  went  on,  the  spirit  continually 

*Mr.  C.  does  not  believe  in  the  existence  of  the  Devil  and  his  angels. 


DIABOLISM.  W^^ 

evincing  the  most  fiendish  and  vindictive  feelings,  until  in 
April,  1850,  when  he  gained  an  opportunity  of  wreaking,  to 
a  considerable  extent,  his  vengeance.  The  medium,  above 
spoken  of,  one  afternoon  used  much  freedom  with  this  spi- 
rit, and  received  many  manifestations  from  him  by  the  vio- 
lent movements  of  her  arms.  At  length  the  spirit  acquired 
so  much  control  over  her  person  that  she  was  unable  to  guide 
her  own  movements,  or  to  repel  him ;  and  he  continued,  for 
a  long  time,  to  strike  her  arms  back  against  her  chair,  un- 
til both  arms  from  the  elbows  upward  were  bruised  black, 
and  ultimately  almost  into  a  pumice.  This  operation  finally 
was  superseded  by  others  of  a  more  serious  nature,  in  propor- 
tion as  the  spirit  gained  increased  control  over  her  organ- 
ism. After  various  persecutions  and  tortures  inflicted  by 
the  spirit  upon  the  medium,  he  finally  commenced  strang- 
ling her,  or  at  least  so  operated  upon  her  as  to  produce 
the  same  effects  that  would  be  produced  by  a  rope  drawn 
tightly  around  her  neck — declaring,  at  the  same  time, 
that  he  would  strangle  her  to  death.  His  declarations 
were  made  through  her  mediumship  and  that  of  others 
who  were  present ;  and  it  was  asserted  by  other  spirits 
through  other  mediums  who  were  in  attendance,  that  Ba- 
ham  was  fully  determined,  if  possible,  to  carry  his  threat 
into  execution  and  that  it  was  not  m  their  power,  with 
the  attending  conditions,  to  prevent  him,  because  he  had 
previously  secured  so  much  possession  of  her  person.  The 
strangulation  increased  until  the  subject  was  unable  to 
speak,  or  even  to  breathe  without  the  utmost  difficulty — 
making  severe  exertions,  such  as  throwing  up  her  hands, 
struggling,  and  uttering  a  pecuHarly  distressing  noise  in 
her  efforts  at  inspiration.  This  state  of  the  case  continued 
for  about  thirty-six  hours  ;  during  which  time  the  house 
was  thronged  by  visitors  and  friends,  and  every  attempt 
possible  was  made  to  deliver  her  from  her  situation.  Se- 
veral strong  and  skillful  magnetizers  used  their  utmost 
exertions  to  dispossess  her  of  the  influence,  whatever  it 
might  be,  but  did  not  at  all  succeed;  physicians  were 
called,  both  of  the  skeptical  and  the  believing  in  spiritual 
matters,  none  of  whom  could  aid  her,  or  discover  evidence 
of  any  bodily  disease.  In  the  mean  time  the  body  w^as 
suffering  the  severest  agony,  being  entirely  speechless, 


42    ^  A  THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

and  her  limbs  and  whole  body  were  violently  moved  con- 
trary to  her  own  will  and  strenuous  exertions  ;  and  fears 
were  continually  entertained  that  her  breathing  would  be 
entirely  prevented,  and  death  ensue. 

"  But  now  we  come  to  the  mode  of  her  deliverance, 
which  will  introduce  a  manifestation  of  a  decidedly  oppo- 
site spiritual  nature.  As  has  been  remarked,  all  the  means 
which  could  be  suggested  by  physicians,  spiritual  and 
anti-spiritual,  friends  and  spectators  of  equally  diverse 
opinions,  the  efforts  of  magnetizers  and  the  various  kmds 
of  medicines  which  were  administered — all  and  each  pro- 
duced no  perceptible  effect.  But  the  manner  of  her  relief 
was  this :  After  she  had  been  tortured  for  about  a  day 
and  a  half,  another  medium  was  sent  to  the  house  by  spi- 
ritual direction.  This  medium,  also  a  young  lady,  was  a 
clairvoyant,  rapping  and  writing  medium  ;  and  upon  her 
arrival  a  spirit,  purporting  to  be  that  of  the  Apostle  Paul, 
threw  her  into  the  clairvoyant  state,  and  caused  her  to 
take  hold  of  the  hands  of  the  afflicted  person  ;  when  with- 
in the  space  of  five  minutes  she  was  entirely  relieved  of 
the  pernicious  influence.  And  after  keeping  both  mediums 
in  the  clairvoyant  condition  for  a  few  minutes  longer — 
during  Avhich  time  they  were  exceedingly  happy,  that 
which  claimed  to  be  the  spirit  of  Paul  brought  them  both 
into  their  normal  states,  perfectly  well.  And  thus  ended 
^v^hat  was  considered  by  many  intelligent  witnesses  to  be 
a  case  of  pure  diabolism." 

ALAEMING  WONDEKS. 

The  next  place  our  Author  mentions,  is  Stratford, 
Conn.,  where  the  most  alarming  wonders  took  place  in  the 
house  of  Bev.  MiaUm  Phdps^  D.  D.    He  goes  on  to  say  : 

"  While  these  strange  occurrences  were  taking  place  at 
Rochester  and  Auburn,  and  the  press  and  people  were 
busy  in  trying  to  account  for  them  on  strictly  mundane 
principles,  making  all  manner  of  insinuations  against  the 
character  and  motives  of  those  who  even  dared  to  inves- 
tigate for  themselves,  some  manifestations  took  place  at 
Stratford,  Conn.,  which  attracted  attention  to  that  quar- 
ter, as  well  on  account  of  the  character  and  standing  of 


ALAEMING  WONDERS.  ^     43 

the  gentleman  at  whose  house  they  occurred,  as  the  very 
strange,  boisterous,  and  violent  character  of  the  manifes- 
tations. I  have  been  allowed  to  examine  all  the  records 
kept  of  the  occurrences  by  Dr.  Phelps,  and  shall  be  able 
therefore,  to  present  the  history  with  more  minuteness 
and  accuracy  than  has  ever  before  appeared. 

"  The  first  disturbances  took  place  on  the  tenth  day  of 
March,  1850,  at  the  house  of  Rev.  Eliakim  Phelps,  D.D. 
The  house  had  been  occupied  by  him  from  the  22d  of 
February,  1848.  It  is  a  large  and  genteel  country  man- 
sion, separated  from  the  street  by  a  fence  forty-five  feet 
in  front  of  the  house ;  which  is  thirty-two  feet  in  front, 
and,  including  the  piazza,  seventy  feet  deep,  with  a  hall 
thirteen  feet  wide,  running  through  the  whole  depth  of 
the  building.  Adjoining,  and  opening  from  this  hall  are 
two  parlors  and  a  dining-room.  On  the  second  floor  are 
five  sleeping-rooms,  and  on  the  third  floor  two.  The 
kitchen  is  in  the  basement.  The  house  was  built  about 
the  year  1829  or  '30  by  a  Captain  Dondall,  who  for  seve- 
ral years  commanded  a  vessel  in  the  China  trade,  and 
who  died  in  the  bay  of  Canton  within  two  or  three  years 
after  his  family  had  taken  up  their  residence  in  the  house. 
The  property  then  passed  into  the  hands  of  another  sea- 
captain,  by  the  name  of  Purcell,  who,  with  his  family, 
occupied  it  for  several  years.  Capt.  Purcell  dying  sud- 
denly in  New- York,  the  family  removed,  and  the  house 
was  occupied  by  an  Episcopal  clergyman  for  a  school  a 

year  or  more,  and  afterwards  by  a  Mr.  ,  also  as  a 

school  for  boys. 

"  None  of  the  families  who  had  thus  far  occupied  the 
house  had  ever  been  disturbed,  or  witnessed  any  thing 
aside  from  ordinary  events.  At  the  death  of  Capt.  Pur- 
cell it  became  the  property  of  the  two  daughters,  of 
whom  Dr.  Phelps  purchased  it  during  the  month  of  No- 
vember, 1 847.  For  two  years  previous  to  this  it  had  been 
unoccupied.  Dr.  Phelps  and  family  commenced  their 
residence  therein  on  the  22d  of  February,  1 848.  Nothing 
occurred  to  excite  the  attention  of  the  family  out  of  the 
ordinary  course  of  events  until  the  tenth  of  March,  1850 ; 
and,  as  before  stated,  nothing  can  be  learned  of  any 
strange  or  unusual  events  occurring  there  previous  to 


44  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

that  time.  It  will  be  observed  by  the  dates  given  that 
Dr.  Phelps  had  occupied  the  house  more  than  two  years, 
had  found  it  an  agreeable  and  quiet  place  of  residence — 
having  never  himself  or  any  member  of  the  family  been 
disturbed  or  alarmed  by  unusual  occurrences.  On  the 
tenth  of  March,  as  above  stated,  it  being  the  Sabbath, 
Dr.  Phelps  and  family,  consisting  of  Mrs.  Phelps,  two 
daughters  and  two  sons,  the  eldest  a  daughter  aged  six- 
teen, a  son  of  twelve  years,  and  a  second  daughter  of  six 
years,  children  of  Mrs.  Phelps  by  a  former  marriage,  and 
another  son  of  Dr.  Phelps  by  the  present  marriage,  not 
then  three  years  old,  all  attended  church ;  and  an  Irish 
servant-girl,  who  had  been  employed  in  the  family  some 
six  months,  and  had  shown  herself  to  be  honest  and  trust- 
worthy, had  gone  on  that  day  to  Bridgeport,  to  attend 
the  Catholic  Church.  On  leaving  the  house  in  the  morn- 
ing it  appears  that  the  Doctor  had  secured  the  chamber- 
doors,  and  put  the  keys  in  his  pocket ;  those  which  could 
be  were  locked  inside  and  the  keys  left  in  them.  The 
only  door  by  which  the  chambers  could  be  entered  was 
locked,  and  the  key  taken  by  Dr.  Phelps.  He  also  locked 
the  front-door  inside,  left  the  key  in  the  lock,  and,  pass- 
ing out  at  the  back-door,  locked  that  and  placed  the  key 
in  his  pocket.  On  returning  from  church  at  noon  the 
front-door  was  found  standing  open ;  the  chamber-doors, 
which  were  left  fastened,  were  now  open ;  and  in  the 
nursery  the  furniture  was  thrown  about  in  disorder; 
chairs  on  the  bed,  and  thrown  down  upon  the  floor ;  the 
shovel,  tongs  and  poker,  with  other  things,  were  in  unusual 
positions  and  places,  every  thing  showing  unmistakable 
signs  of  the  work  of  some  rude  hand  making  mischief  in 
their  absence.  Upon  discovering  the  disorder  here  Dr. 
Phelps  passed  into  other  rooms  on  the  same  floor,  but 
could  see  no  other  evidence  of  intrusion.  The  first  sup- 
position was,  very  naturally,  that  some  person  or  persons 
had  entered  and  robbed  the  house.  Search  was  immedi- 
ately made  in  the  closets  where  silver  plate,  spoons,  forks, 
etc.,  were  kept.  All  were  found  safe  and  undisturbed. 
A  gold  watch,  left  in  an  exposed  place,  remained  there 
as  left.  The  impression  still  remained  that  burglars  had 
been  in ;  and,  on  examination  of  the  windows,  one  was 


ALARMING   WONDERS.  45 

found  that  could  be  raised  from  the  outside,  and  though 
there  was  no  evidence  of  entrance  having  been  made 
there,  no  doubt  existed  that  this  was  the  place  of  access. 
Thinking  they  might  return  during  the  afternoon.  Dr. 
Phelps  remained  at  home,  the  other  members  of  the  fa- 
mily going  again  to  church.  Being  left  alone  the  Doctor 
armed  himself,  and,  selecting  a  secluded  position,  awaited 
the  return  of  the  burglars.  There  was  no  disturbance 
during  the  afternoon ;  no  sound  of  footfall ;  all  remained 
quiet.  On  the  return  of  the  family,  after  the  service, 
usually  closing  at  three  o'clock,  several  other  articles  were 
found  out  of  place,  but  not  in  a  way  to  make  it  certain 
that  they  were  not  moved  in  the  morning.  Articles  of 
kitchen  furniture  were  changed  about.  A  tea-kettle, 
which  had  been  used  at  dinner-time,  was  found  hidden 
behind  some  boxes  in  the  cellar.  The  bread,  sugar-bowl, 
eggs,  and  numerous  other  things  kept  in  the  kitchen, 
were  found  where  they  did  not  belong,  and  where  they 
had  evidently  been  placed  in  some  way  which  the  family 
could  not  account  for.  Upon  enteiing  the  middle  cham- 
ber, occupied  as  a  sleeping-room,  a  sheet  was  found 
spread  over  the  bed  outside  the  counterpane,  and  beneath 
which  was  a  night-gown  and  chemise  laid  out  with  the 
arms  folded  across  the  breast,  with  stockings  placed  in  a 
position  to  represent,  as  it  seemed,  a  corpse,  disposed  as 
is  usual  before  placing  it  in  the  coffin.  On  the  wall  were 
written  characters  resembling  those  said  by  certain  clair- 
voyants to  belong  to  a  sj)iritual  language,  but  which  none 
of  the  family  were  able  to  decipher.  Whether  they  had 
any  significance,  or  how  they  came  there,  was  alike  an 
unanswerable  question  by  the  family ;  they  had  not  ob- 
served them  before.  Occurrences  ceased  for  that  day 
and  night,  yet  no  one  thinking  of  any  mystery  in  the 
matter,  they  imputed  it  to  roguish  boys,  or  others,  who 
had  effected  entrance  with  false  keys,  for  mischief,  rather 
than  for  robbery,  and  that  the  culprits  would  soon  be  de- 
tected. The  next  morning,  March  11th,  when  the  family 
went  up  stairs,  after  breakfast,  the  middle  chamber  had 
again  been  visited,  exhibiting  much  the  same  scene  of 
disorder  presented  the  previous  day.  A  sheet  was  spread 
out  upon  the  floor,  the  wash-stand  laid  upon  its  back  upon 


46  A   THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

the.  sheet,  a  candle-stick  set  upon  the  stand,  the  wash- 
bowl placed  upon  one  side,  and  the  pitcher  on  the  other. 
The  night-gown  and  chemise,  used  on  the  previous  occa- 
sion to  represent  a  dead  body,  were  found  one  in  the 
bowl,  the  other  in  the  pitcher.     It  appears  that  these 
articles  of  clothing  were  not  then  in  use ;  they  had  been 
placed  in  a  trunk  which  stood  in  a  closet  adjoining  that 
room.     They  were  replaced  iq  the  trunk  when  removed 
from  the  bed  the  day  before.     As  they  were  conversing 
in  relation  to  the  disposition  of  the  things  as  above  stated, 
Mrs.  Phelps  looked  under  the  bed,  and  discovered  arti- 
cles there,  partially  concealed  by  the  bed,  resembling 
those  in  question.     They  were  taken  out  and  pronounced 
to  be  the  same.    Dr.  Phelps  had  not  before  examined 
them,  but  then  took  them,  noted  the  name  and  number 
on  each,  as  they  were  marked,  folded,  and  placed  them 
again  in  the  trunk,  remarking  that  he  would  put  them 
where  they  would  stay ;  did  not  lock  the  trunk,  not  hav- 
ing a  key,  but  locked  the  closet  and  placed  the  key  about 
his  own  person ;  then  requesting  the  family  to  all  leave 
the  room  first,  which  they  did,  the  Doctor,  following, 
locked  the  door  of  the  room,  and  kept  the  key.     Having 
observed  that  Mrs.  Phelps  seemed  a  little  troubled  as  to 
the  mystery,  he  thought  to  convince  her  that  there  was 
no  mystery  in  the  matter,  and,  having  secured  the  closet 
and  room,  he  descended  to  the  rooms  below,  following 
them  all.     After  the  lapse  of  some  fiifteen  minutes,  some 
person  spoke  to  the  Doctor,  upon  which  he  went  up  to 
the  chambers.     At  the  head  of  the  stairs,  out  in  the  hall, 
he  found  the  same  articles  which  he  had  left  as  before 
stated.    He  examined  them,  and  was  positive  they  were 
the  same.     He  went  to  the  door ;  found  it  locked ;  entered 
by  applying  the  key  from  his  pocket ;  went  to  the  closet ; 
found  it  locked ;  took  the  key  from  his  pocket ;  opened  the 
door ;  looked  in  the  trunk ;  and  the  articles  were  gone !  Dr. 
Phelps  states  that  he  was  confident  there  was  no  decep- 
tion in  the  case,  and  that  he  then,  for  the  first,  felt  that 
there  was  a  mystery  about  the  affair.     He  had  neve.r  be- 
lieved in  the  appearing  of  ghosts,  or  departed  spirits, 
warnings,  or  any  thing  of  that  nature,  and,  at  the  age  of 
three-score,  had  never  seen  or  heard  any  thing  connected 


^  ALARMING   WONDEES.  ^  47 

with  that  class  of  phenomena.  The  evidence  upon  which 
such  superstitions,  as  he  termed  them,  rest,  he  had  never 
examined,  and  while  he  had  no  proof  positive  that  they 
were  impossible,  and  never  did  occur,  he  had  no  evidence 
to  found  a  belief  upon  that  they  ever  had.  His  idea  of 
spiritual  manifestations  seems  to  have  been  that  most,  if 
not  all,  followed  by  a  strict  scrutiny,  might  be  accounted 
for  on  natural  or  known  principles,  or  some  physical 
means,  which  would  disrobe  them  of  the  mysterious  alto- 
gether. But  it  was  not  to  rest  here.  On  the  same  day 
(March  11th)  the  moving  and  throwing  of  furniture  com- 
menced. An  umbrella,  standing  at  the  end  of  the  hall, 
leaped,  without  visible  assistance,  a  distance,  of  at  least, 
twenty-five  feet.  Dr.  Phelps  saw  the  movement,  and 
knows  there  was  no  perceptible  agency  by  which  the 
motion  was  produced.  A  bucket,  standing  at  the  head 
of  the  stairs,  was  thrown  into  the  entry  below.  Smaller 
articles,  such  as  nails,  forks,  knives,  spoons,  bits  of  tin, 
iron  and  keys,  were  thrown  from  difierent  directions 
about  the  house.  He  says :  '  There  were  times  when  they 
came  from  such  directions  that  they  might  have  been 
thrown  by  some  person  in  the  house' — at  least,  that  may 
be  admitted — but  in  very  many  cases  the  motion  and 
point  of  starting  were  such  as  to  preclude  all  possibility 
of  deception  on  the  part  of  persons  in  the  rooms.  Dur- 
ing the  afternoon  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Phelps  had  occasion  to  go 
to  Bridgeport ;  a  distance  of  some  three  miles.  During 
their  absence  the  shovel  and  tongs,  standing  in  the  dining- 
room,  were  thrown  violently  down  the  basement-stairs ; 
a  piece  of  mourning-crape  fastened  to  the  knocker  of  the 
back-door,  and  the  mirrors  in  the  front  chambers  covered 
mth  sheets  and  table-cloths,  as  is  the  custom  in  some 
parts  of  the  country  while  a  person  lies  dead  in  the  house. 
The  crape  on  the  door  Dr.  Phelps  did  not  see,  but  the 
covering  on  the  mirrors  he  removed  with  his  own  hands. 
The  position  of  the  mirrors  in  one  room  was  such  that 
the  coverings  could  not,  without  great  difficulty,  have 
been  placed  there  by  any  person  about  the  house.  Vari- 
ous articles  were  said  to  have  been  thrown  about  the 
room — the  phenomena  continuing  in  his  absence  about 
|he  same  as  when  he  was  present  in  the  fore  part  of  the 


48  A   THREE-FOLD    TEST.  ' 

day.  Soon  after  sundoTVTi  all  was  again  qniet,  and  so  con- 
tinued through  the  night. 

The  next  morning  (March  1 2th)  soon  after  the  family- 
were  up,  the  same  phenomena  began  again  ;  knives,  forks, 
spoons,  blocks  of  wood,  nails,  etc.,  etc.,  were  thrown  from 
different  directions,  and  with  increased  frequency,  attend- 
ed by  still  stranger  circumstances,  and  those  of  a  still 
more  mysterious  character.  Mrs.  Phelps  expressed  some 
alarm,  and  a  wish  that  some  of  the  neighbors  might  be 
called  in.  Dr.  Phelps  called  on  a  retired  clergyman  of 
Stratford,  a  man  of  extensive  information,  much  expe- 
rience and  sound  judgment,  who  was  universally  admitted 
to  be  capable  of  rendering  correct  judgment  and  good 
advice  in  such  a  case.  He  requested  him  to  call  and 
spend  an  hour  at  the  house,  to  which  he  cheerfully  con- 
sented. Dr.  P.  told  him  that  his  family  had  been  a  little 
excited  by  some  occurrences  in  the  house,  but  did  not 
state  any  of  the  details  of  the  matter,  but  desired  that 
he  would  sit  mth  them  for  a  short  time  and  witness  for 
himself.  He  remained  all  day,  but  was,  at  first,  firmly  of 
the  opinion  that  the  occurrences  were  produced,  in  some 
way,  through  the  agency  of  the  girl,  or  some  other  per- 
son about  the  house,  and  his  main  attention  was  directed 
to  the  girl  in  the  kitchen,  or  the  children,  in  the  expecta- 
tion that  he  should  detect  them  in  doing  it. 

"  The  door  leading  from  the  parlors  to  the  kitchen  was, 
by  his  request,  locked,  and  all  communication  between  it 
and  the  other  parts  of  the  house  cut  off;  still,  the  throw- 
ing of  articles  went  on  as  before.  The  children  were 
sent  out  of  the  room,  and  the  doors  locked ;  but  this 
made  no  difference.  He  staid  through  most  of  the  day 
on  Thursday,  and  returned  soon  after  breakfast  next 
morning,  and  remained  most  of  the  time  for  nearly  three 
weeks.  He  became  satisfied,  before  the  close  of  the 
second  day,  that  neither  the  girl  in  the  kitchen  nor  the 
children  had  any  agency  in  producing  the  strange  move- 
ments. During  the  day  (March  12th)  some  of  the  neigh- 
bors were  in  the  house,  and  small  blocks  of  wood  were 
seen  to  fall  in  different  places  in  their  presence  ;  but  only 
one  person  noticed  them  in  a  way  to  excite  inquiry,  and 
that  person  was  requested  not  to  mention  what  she  had  seen. 


ALAKMING    WONDEKS.  49 

On  Wednesday,  March  13th,  the  manifestations  com- 
menced early  in  the  morning,  in  the  middle  chamber,  the 
room  in  which  two  children  slept,  and  began  while  they 
were  both  asleep.  A  book,  standing  in  tlie  library,  ten 
or  twelve  feet  from  the  bed,  leaped  from  the  shelf  into 
the  middle  of  the  room.  The  blower,  which  was  in  the 
grate,  leaped  out  on  the  floor,  a  distance  of  at  least  six 
feet,  the  noise  of  which  first  awakened  the  children.  At 
the  breakfast-table  several  articles  were  thrown  ;  among 
them  a  large  potato,  which  had  been  sent  from  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  laid  up  in  a  closet  in  the  east-chamber,  fell  on 
the  table  directly  by  the  side  of  Dr.  P.'s  plate,  in  a  man- 
ner that  no  person  could  have  done  it  without  instant  de- 
tection. The  Doctor's  curiosity  was  much  excited,  and 
he  watched,  with  all  the  scrutiny  he  was  capable,  every 
person  in  the  room.  He  took  up  the  potato  and  let  it 
fall  from  difierent  heights,  in  order  to  determine  how 
far  it  must  have  fallen  to  have  made  the  concussion 
that  it  did ;  and  it  was  adjudged  by  all  that  the  dis- 
tance could  not  have  been  more  than  twelve  or  fifteen 
inches. 

"  Rev.  Mr. came  in  soon  after  breakfast,  and  re- 
mained during  the  day.  Several  Bibles  were  opened  at 
difierent  passages,  which  seemed  to  be  selected  Avith  a 
great  deal  of  care,  and  indicated  either  by  placing  small 
pieces  of  paper  on  them  or  turning  down  a  leaf.  These 
things  first  occurred  in  the  middle  chamber  where  the 
library  stood.  While  the  family  were  at  dinner  similar 
things  were  done  in  the  parlor  adjoining  the  dining-room. 
Two  Bibles  and  an  Episcopal  prayer-book  were  opened 
at  difierent  passages,  chairs  turned  forward  on  the  fioor, 
two  solar  lamps  placed  on  the  fioor,  a  hat  and  man's  cap 
put  one  on  each ;  nearly  every  thing  in  the  room  had 
been  moved,  and  in  so  short  a  time,  that  it  seems  wholly 
inadmissible  that  any  person  about  the  house  could  have 
done  it ;  besides,  the  whole  household  were  in  the  dining- 
room,  all  seated  at  the  table,  except  the  servant,  and  she 
Avas  employed  waiting  on  the  table. 

In  the  afternoon  the  demonstrations  were  confined  to 

the  middle  parlor.    Dr.  and  Mrs.  Phelps,  and  Mr. , 

and  a  part  of  the  time  the  eldest  daughter,  being  present ; 
8 


k 


50  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 


in  the  absence  of  the  daughter  the  doors  were  locked, 
and  the  three  first  named  only  were  present. 

"  The  throwing  of  various  things  occupied  the  after- 
noon. The  articles  thrown  were  picked  up  and  placed 
upon  the  mantle,  and  between  the  hours  of  one  and  four 
o'clock,  the  number  amounted  to  forty-six  ;  among  which 
were  nails,  bits  of  tin,  iron,  keys,  and  small  blocks,  all  of 
which  were  gathered  from  different  parts  of  the  house  ; 
most  of  them  from  closets  on  the  second  floor,  and  the 

chambers.    At  one  time,  while  Mr.  M was  standing 

near  the  centre  of  the  room,  a  padlock,  which  was  known 
to  have  been  in  the  closet  of  the  middle  chamber,  fell  at 
his  feet.  He  took  it  in  his  hand,  letting  it  fall  from  differ- 
ent heights,  to  discover  the  probable  distance  it  must 
have  fallen  to  produce  the  concussion.  After  various 
trials  it  was  judged  to  have  fallen  not  more  than  two  or 
two  and  a  half  feet.  As  Dr.  P.  was  sitting,  perhaps  ten 
feet  fi'om  the  piano-fOrte,  he  saw  a  small  toy-mouse,  which 
was  on  the  piano,  arise  as  if  tossed,  and,  describing  a 
parabola  as  it  came,  fall  at  his  side,  so  near  that  he  took 
it  from  the  floor  mthout  leaving  his  chair.  This  he 
speaks  of  seeing  as  distinctly  as  he  ever  saw  any  thing, 
the  whole  being  perfectly  in  his  view.  He  also  saw,  in 
the  same  way,  among  other  things,  a  nail,  cotton-spool 
and  key,  arise  from  behind  the  sofa,  which  stood  diagon- 
ally across  the  corner  of  the  room.  He  arose,  went  to 
the  sofa,  looking  behind  and  under  it,  but  could  discover 
nothing  which  might  give  impulse  to  the  articles.  While 
examining  the  carpet  about  the  sofa  to  find  if  any  other 
things  were  there,  without  success,  as  his  eyes  were  di- 
rected to  one  spot,  there  arose  from  that  very  point  a 
jiiece  of  cheese-rind,  perhaps  eight  inches  from  the  floor  ; 
when  he  saw  it  first,  it  arose  four  or  five  feet,  passed  over 
the  sofa,  and  fell  on  the  floor.  He  is  positive  it  was  not 
there  when  he  was  looking  at  the  carpet,  and  knows  there 
were  no  visible  means  of  its  moving. 

"  Mr.  M suggested,  as  he  was  about  to  leave  on 

Wednesday  night,  that  if  the  strange  phenomena  should 
return,  he  would  like  to  have  some  other  persons  called 
in.  Early  the  next  morning,  Thursday  the  14th,  the 
manifestations  commenced  about  as  they  had  on  the  pre- 


& 


ALAEMING   WONDEES.  51 

vious  day.  Soon  after  breakfast  a  sheet  was  found  spread 
upon  the  floor,  several  Bibles  were  opened  at  different 
places,  the  candlesticks  in  a  row,  the  highest  in  the  mid- 
dle, and  covered  with  a  sheet ;  other  articles  changed 
about  the  room,  without  any  seeming  design,  more  than 

to  attract  attention.     Mr.  M proposed  that  notes  be 

dispatched  to  Rev.  Mr.  W ,  Congregational  minister, 

and  Mr.  Plant,  a  lawyer  of  high  standing  and  respectabi- 
lity, which  was  according  done.  It  was  at  this  time  that 
they  first  began  to  hear  rappings  and  heavy  poundings. 
A  loud  sound,  like  some  person  striking  the  floor  with 
some  heavy  substance,  was  heard,  generally  in  the  middle 
chamber.  This  was  usually  done  when  no  one  was  in  the 
chamber,  and  on  any  one  entering  all  was  stiU.  In  one 
instance  a  chair  was  seen  to  rise  from  the  floor  and  beat 
down  again,  five  or  six  times,  with  a  violence  which  caused 
the  house  to  tremble  so  as  to  be  felt  in  all  the  adjoining 
apartments.  A  large  plated  candlestick,  standing  on  the 
mantle,  was  moved  by  some  unseen  power  to  the  floor, 
and  then  rose  up  and  down,  beating  the  floor,  until  the 
candlestick  was  broken.  This  was  the  first  article  that  m 
was  damaged  about  the  house.  Several  times,  during 
the  day,  loud  noises,  like  some  one  pounding  with  an  axe,  ..^, 
or  some  heavy  substance,  on  the  floor,  were  heard  in 
different  parts  of  the  house,  and  several  times  the  loud 
poundings  terminated  with  a  frightful  scream ;  it  was  not  a 
cry  of  distress,  or  any  thing  that  could  be  easily  imitated, 
seeming  like  something  between  the  cry  of  a  cat  and  the 
bleating  of  a  calf,  but  louder  than  either.  These  sounds 
occurred,  in  aU,  probably  twenty  times  whUe  the  mani- 
festations were  going  on.  Sometimes  the  screams  seem- 
ed to  be  in  the  third  story,  sometimes  in  the  front-hall  ^ 
chamber,  several  times  out  in  the  yard,  and  occasionally  "^ 
in  other  places.  There  was,  at  no  time,  any  audible  ex- 
pression of  words.  The  sounds  consisted  of  poundings, 
knockings,  and  screamings.  On  this  day  the  first  images 
were  found,  which  will  be  spoken  of  more  fully  here- 
after. 

"  In  the  evening  of  this  day,  just  after  some  young 
ladies  had  called,  Dr.  P.'s  daughter  returned  to  the  par- 
lor, it  being  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock.    After  seeing 


# 


52  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

the  young  ladies  to  tlie  door,  an  iron  stand,  in  whicli 
stood  the  fire-shovel,  tongs  and  poker,  leaped  from  the 
hearth,  where  it  stood,  into  the  middle  of  the  floor,  and 
rose  up  and  beat  the  floor  with  a  force  that  made  a  jar 
that  could  be  felt,  and  the  sound  heard,  in  any  part  of 
the  house.  This  was  seen  only  by  the  daughter,  but  Dr. 
P.  and  wife  heard  the  noise.  The  daughter  ran  through 
the  dining-room  to  get  up  stairs,  and,  as  she  passed,  a 
large  table  was  standing,  with  the  other  furniture,  ar- 
ranged for  breakfast  the  next  morning.  The  table  was 
three  feet  nine  inches  wide,  and  five  feet  three  inches 
long,  made  of  sohd  mahogany ;  and  when  she  entered 
the  room  it  rose  up  and  beat  five  or  six  times  against  the 
floor  with  a  force  which  made  the  house  jar.  The  noise 
was  heard  by  many  persons  in  the  house.  Mrs.  P.  was 
alarmed,  and  screamed  out :  '  Oh !  take  me  from  this  place !' 
This  happened  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock  P.M.  Pre- 
vious to  this  time,  all  manifestations  had  ceased  by  sun- 
down, or  a  httle  after. 

"  Soon  after  daylight  on  Friday,  March  15th,  movements 
similar  to  those  on  previous  days  commenced.  Henry,  a 
lad  then  eleven  and  a  half  years  of  age,  attended  the 
academy,  and  nothing  had,  thus  far,  ever  occurred  to 
connect  these  strange  phenomena  with  his  presence.  Dr. 
P.  had  never  heard  or  thought  of  particular  persons  being 
'  mediums.'  But  on  this  day  the  remarkable  occurrences 
seemed  to  be  connected  more  or  less  with  this  boy.  His 
cap  was  torn  on  his  head,  so  as  to  be  entirely  destroyed. 
Another  one  which  he  put  on  was  taken  in  the  same  way. 
First  a  small  hole  opened  in  the  crown;  this  gradually 
extended,  and  in  a  short  time  it  was  torn  into  many  pieces. 
On  another  cap  characters  were  made,  apparently  with 
chalk.  They  resembled  those  sometimes  made  by  persons 
in  the  higher  mesmeric  state,  describing  them  as  charac- 
ters of  a  spiritual  language. 

"  Five  or  six  of  these  characters  were,  at  one  time, 
made  on  the  boy's  cap.  Others,  supposed  to  constitute 
a  sentence,  were  written  on  a  red  pocket-handkerchief; 
others  on  his  pantaloons  and  coat,  and  on  the  inside  of 
his  sack-coat.  Copies  of  these  characters  were  taken 
■\vith  great  care,  and  were  preserved  till  September  fol- 


ALAEMING  WONDEES.  63 

lowing,  when  tliey  were  mysteriously  destroyed.  From 
this  time  it  became  evident  that  some  of  the  phenomena 
had  some  kind  of  connection  with  this  boy. 

"  An  umbrella,  w^hich  he  was  carrying,  was,  in  a  mys- 
terious manner,  torn  in  several  pieces.  His  pantaloons 
were  torn  from  the  bottom  upwards,  as  high  as  the  knee, 
and  sometimes  higher,  and  were  literally  torn  to  ribbons, 
an  inch  or  more  wide.  This  occurred  several  times  under 
the  immediate  inspection  of  Rev.  Mr.  M.,  which  seems  to 
fix  the  fact  that,  in  those  instances  at  least,  no  power  visi- 
ble did  it.  Thus  it  continued  for  several  weeks,  clothing 
to  the  amount  of  twenty  dollars  being  destroyed.  At 
one  time,  while  he  was  riding  in  a  carriage  with  Dr.  P., 
his  cap  on  his  head  was  torn  in  a  mysterious  manner,  and 
his  pants  torn  from  the  waistband  to  the  bottom,  in  a 
way  that  no  human  power  could  have  done.  Dr.  P.  heard 
them  torn,  but  could  see  nothing  doing  it,  and  knows  the 
boy  could  not  have  done  it  himself.  It  was  on  this  day, 
March  15th,  that  images,  dressed  in  articles  of  clothing, 
were  again  seen;  only  two  or  three  appeared  on  that  day. 
The  most  extraordinary  occurrences  of  this  kind  took 
place  on  Saturday,  the  16th.  Soon  after  breakfast  two 
or  three  images  appeared  in  the  middle  chamber ;  soon 
again  another,  followed  by  others  still,  numbering  in  all 
eleven  or  twelve.  They  were  formed  of  articles  of  cloth- 
ing, found  about  the  house,  stuffed  to  resemble  the  human 
figure.  A  lady's  dress  would  be  stuffed  in  some  cases 
with  a  muff;  again  with  a  pillow,  and  sometimes  with 
other  dresses ;  a  bonnet  and  shoes  were  aptly  placed  to 
complete  the  figure.  These,  on  this  occasion,  all  but  one, 
represented  females  in  the  attitude  of  devotion,  some 
having  Bibles  or  prayer-books  placed  before  them.  One, 
formed  of  Mrs.  P.'s  dress,  so  much  resembled  the  real, 
that  the  Httle  boy,  scarce  three  years  old,  coming  into 
the  room  with  his  sister,  older,  whispered:  'Be  still,  ma 
is  saying  prayers.' 

"A  portable  writing-desk,  usually  standing  on  the 
secretary  in  the  room,  was  taken  and  placed  upon  the 
floor,  a  towel  spread  over  it,  and  the  image  of  a  cliUd 
kneeling  beside  it.  A  Yankee  clock  was  taken  from  the 
mantle  in  the  nursery,  and  placed  upon  the  floor  in  the 


64  A  THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

middle  of  the  room,  a  distance  of  twenty  feet,  and  so 
carefully  done  that  the  clock  was  still  going  when  dis- 
covered in  its  new  place,  though  it  stopped  some  time 
after.  It  does  not  appear  that  any  of  these  images  were 
seen  in  the  process  of  construction,  or  that  the  cloth- 
ing, which  was  gathered  from  different  localities,  was 
seen  in  the  act  of  moving.  When  persons  entered  the 
room  every  thing  was  stiJl,  the  clothing  about  the  floor, 
which,  upon  going  again  within  a  few  minutes,  were 
found  wrought  into  forms.  The  marked  rapidity  of  their 
construction,  and  the  life-hke  appearance  of  them,  seems 
to  have  been  truly  wonderful.  During  this  day  several 
others  than  members  of  the  family  were  present.  In 
several  instances,  when  the  rooms  were  closed  and  the 
doors  guarded,  so  that  no  person  could  enter,  the  images 
were  constructed.  To  one  reading  or  hstening  to  the 
relation  of  these  facts,  the  mischief  and  cunning  evinced 
will  seem  amusing  as  well  as  most  wonderful;  but  to 
the  family  who  bore  the  annoyance  and  witnessed  the 
terrifying  demonstrations,  it  was  a  serious  and  trying 
affair. 

"  The  reader  wiU  keep  in  mind  that  this  was  on  Satur- 
day of  the  first  week  of  these  strange  proceedings,  and 
many  persons  were  still  believing  that  they  must  be  pro- 
duced by  some  one  in  the  house :  every  member  of  the 
feimily  therefore  was  subjected  to  the  most  rigid  scrutiny, 
which  makes  it  morally  certain  that  no  member  of  the 
household  could  have  had  any  agency  in  the  matter  with- 
out being  at  once  detected.  Besides  the  neatness  and 
dispatch  with  which  they  were  formed,  the  natural  appear- 
ance of  most  of  them  must  have  required  taste  and  skill 
beyond  the  conception  of  ordinary  persons  in  the  flesh. 
Mr.  M.  remained  there  throughout  the  day,  Mr.  W., 
Governor  Plant,  and  Captain  S.,  a  part  of  the  day.  Dur- 
ing the  day  and  evening  various  things  were  thrown  in 
different  parts  of  the  house.  A  brick-bat,  which  lay  on 
the  stairs  leading  to  the  third  story,  was  thrown  violently 
down  stairs,  passing  very  near  the  head  of  the  eldest 
daughter  as  she  was  descending  the  stairs.  A  fire-shovel 
was  also  thrown  near  her,  which  she  first  saw  high  above 
her  in  a  position  to  fall  upon  her  head.    She  was  several 


m 


ALARMING   \rONDEES.  55 

times  constrained  to  cry  out  from  fear,  so  much  as  to 
cause  apprehension  on  her  account. 

"  [I  omit,  in  this  place,  at  the  request  of  Dr.  Phelps,  a 
minute  account  of  occurrences  in  which  the  medium 
seemed  to  be  one  who  has  now  grown  to  be  a  young 
woman,  and  would  feel  a  repugnance  at  having  her  name 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  subject.  At  one  time 
a  ribbon  was  tied  around  her  neck,  while  she  was  sleeping, 
so  tight  as  to  cause  a  serious  affection  of  the  brain.  Dr. 
Phelps  was  sitting  in  the  room  when  it  was  done.  Several 
other  remarkable  occurrences  are  omitted,  on  account  of 
her  connection  with  them.  In  the  main  they  do  not  differ 
materially  in  their  nature  from  the  occurrences  herein 
related.] 

"The  hiding  of  hats,  caps,  clothing,  etc.,  seems  at  this 
time  to  have  become  of  common  occurrence.  On  several 
occasions  a  hat  was  seen  to  go  up  stairs — not  thrown,  but 
seemed  to  be  carried  rapidly  by  unseen  hands.  For  several 
days  Dr.  P.  was  forced  to  keep  his  hat  under  lock  and  key 
to  prevent  its  disappearance,  if  left  out  as  usual.  Coats, 
hats,  and  canes  of  gentlemen,  who  were  strangers  in  the 
house,  were  spirited  away;  the  only  object  seeming  to  be 
the  gratification  of  mischievous  desires,  with  the  exception 
of  a  few  instances.  They  were  found  sometimes  in  the 
chimney,  under  the  bed,  and  in  the  bottom  of  trunks. 
The  design  seemed  to  be  to  detain  the  owners  to  witness 
further  demonstrations.  Two  gentlemen  from  an  adjoin- 
ing town  called,  one  of  whom  had  expressed  an  earnest 
desire  to  witness  the  phenomena;  but  having  passed 
several  hours,  and  seen  nothing,  they  were  about  to  leave, 
when  the  person  who  expressed  the  wish  found  himself 
minus  a  hat.  A  thorough  searching  followed,  but  no  hat 
could  be  found,  consequently  the  gentleman  decided  to 
remain  until  the  next  day.  During  the  evening  and 
night,  phenomena  transpired  sufficient  to  gratify  his  most 
abundant  desire.  Similar  cases,  with  like  results,  after- 
wards occurred. 

"  On  the  nineteenth  and  twentieth,  little  occurred  to 
cause  alarm.  Some  of  the  family  heard  loud  and  fright- 
ful screams  in  an  adjacent  out-house,  which  must  have 
been  torturing  to  the  feehngs,  much  more  so  than  the 


56  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

silent  images.  Small  articles  were  also  thrown  about  the 
house.  Reports  had  now  got  abroad,  and  some  excitement 
was  being  produced,  as  is  always  the  case  in  country- 
towns,  where  each  person  knows  their  neighbor's  private 
business  quite  as  well,  and  sometimes  better,  than  those 
most  interested.  And  in  a  matter  of  this  kind  all  efforts 
to  prevent  publicity  would  prove  unavailing.  Curiosity 
and  staring  wonder  would  overstep  all  bounds  of  pro- 
priety and  respect  for  the  private  rights  and  feelings  of 
the  family,  forgetting  that  it  is  no  slight  thing  for  the 
harmony  and  quiet  of  a  household  to  be  invaded,  each 
member  being  subjected  to  suspicion,  ill-natured  scrutiny, 
or  careless  reproach.  On  this  subject  I  can  speak  from 
experience,  having  myself  passed  the  ordeal.  To  persons 
of  refined  sensibihtyit  is  a  trial  indeed.  In  this  case.  Dr. 
P.  adopted  the  rule  of  giving  aU  who  called  an  oppor- 
tunity to  investigate  for  themselves,  and  to  this  rule  he 
adhered,  notwithstanding  the  annoyance  such  a  constant 
visitation  must  have  occasioned.  In  one  instance,  while 
a  rabble  was  gathered  outside,  a  stranger,  who  came  un- 
introduced  by  letter  or  otherwise,  asked  to  spend  the 
night,  and  was  refused  for  obvious  reasons. 

"  On  Friday  and  Saturday,  March  23d  and  24th,  the 
disturbances  increased,  and  became  still  more  annoying. 
Loud  poundings  and  screams  were  heard  in  different 
places,  and  on  Saturday  evening,  between  sunset  and 
dark,  Harry  was  passing  through  the  dining-room,  and 
thought  himself  suddenly  caught  up  by  some  unseen 
power  from  the  floor,  and  supposed  that  he  was  about  to 
be  carried  off  through  the  ceiling.  He  was  very  much 
frightened,  and  screamed  so  as  to  alarm  the  family,  and 
remain  in  a  state  of  great  nervous  excitement  for  two  or 
three  hours,  and  the  effects  did  not  wholly  wear  off  for 
more  than  a  week.  At  times  he  was  in  such  a  state  as 
to  require  two  men  to  hold  him.  For  several  days  after 
this,  he  spent  a  portion  of  his  time  with  one  of  the  neigh- 
bors during  the  day  ;  but  the  disturbances  continued  the 
same  at  the  house,  although  he  appeared  to  be  more  or 
less  the  medium  as  long  as  the  phenomena  continued. 
At  one  time  he  was  thrown  into  a  cistern  of  water ;  at 
another  he  was  tied  up  and  suspended  from  a  tree,  and 


ALARMING   WONDEKS.  5 '7 

several  times  was  thrown  into  a  state  of  apparent  sensi- 
bility, in  which  he  would  remain  from  ten  to  fifteen 
minutes,  and  for  which  no  human  cause  could  be  assigned. 

"  Somewhere  about  the  20th  or  22d  of  March,  Dr.  P.'s 
attention  was  called  to  a  pamphlet  (Capron  and  Barron's) 
giving  a  history  of  the  "  mysterious  noises"  at  Rochester 
and  Auburn.  Several  persons  who  had  read  the  same 
proposed  to  question  the  agents  of  these  disturbances  in 
the  manner  there  recorded,  and  see  if  they  could  get 
answers  to  questions.  To  this  the  Doctor  objected,  for 
reasons  known  to  himself,  but  which  may  readily  be  ima- 
gined by  those  knowing  his  position  in  life,  and  his  gen- 
eral opinions  of  such  phenomena. 

"  On  the  26th  of  March  Anna  left  Stratford,  and  on 
the  third  of  April  Harry  also  left.  I^o  manifestations 
took  place  while  both  were  away.  Harry  was  absent  a 
week,  and  Anna  three  weeks ;  but  the  very  day  that 
Harry  returned,  the  manifestations  commenced  with 
greater  power  than  ever.  Even  before  he  arrived  at  the 
house,  a  paper  with  some  mysterious  characters  was 
dropped  near  the  front-door.  These  characters  were  in- 
terpreted by  a  clairvoyant*  to  read  as  follows : 

*  Fear  not  when  he  returns ;  all  danger  is  o'er. 
We  come,  we  disturbed  thj  house ;  but  shall  no  more. 
Believe  us  not  evil  or  good  till  we  prove 
Our  speech  to  humanity,  our  language  of  love.' 

"  This  was  supposed  to  indicate  that  no  further  disturb- 
ance would  be  made ;  but  in  the  course  of  two  or  three 
hours  another  paper  was  found  in  the  boy's  hat  in  these 
words ; 

'  The  good  ones  say  that  all  is  done, 
But  the  wicked  ones  say  it  has  just  begun.' 

"The  'wicked  ones,'  in  this  case,  seemed  to  come 
nearer  the  truth  than  the  '  good  ones,"*  for,  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  eighth  of  April,  the  breaking  of  glass  com- 
menced for  the  first  time  by  the  breaking  of  a  pane  in  a 
mysterious  manner.     In  the  evening  of  the  same  day 

*  Andrew  Jackson  Davis. 
3* 


68  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

another  was  broken  during  family  prayers,  some  of  the 
pieces  falling  inside  and  some  outside.  There  were  no 
indications  of  any  thing  being  thrown  against  it.  From 
this  time  forward  for  several  weeks  glass  was  broken 
almost  daily,  until  the  whole  number  of  panes  broken 
amounted  to  seventy-one  in  the  house  and  out-buildmgs. 
Most  of  them  were  broken  by  something  being  thrown 
against  them ;  among  the  articles  were  a  brush,  a  shoe,  a 
poker,  a  fire-shovel,  a  candlestick,  a  pair  of  snufiers,  books, 
and  numerous  other  things  ;  occasionally  a  stone  or  piece 
of  brick,  thrown  from  the  outside. 

"  Dr.  P.  thinks  it  would  have  been  possible,  but  not 
probable,  that,  in  some  of  these  cases,  they  might  have 
been  broken  by  human  agency,  but  he  was  an  eye-witness 
in  some  twenty  or  thirty  cases,  and  knows  that  they 
could  not  have  been  so  done.  He  saw  a  brush,  which  he 
knew  to  have  been  on  a  certain  shelf  but  a  moment 
before,  and  no  person  near  the  shelf,  fly  to  the  window, 
break  out  a  glass,  and  fall  down  between  the  shutter  and 
sash,  where  he  knew,  from  the  position,  that  no  one  could 
have  thrown  it.  He  saw  a  tumbler,  which  was  standing 
on  a  bureau,  rise  from  its  place,  fly  to  the  window,  and 
dash  out  the  only  pane  remaining  whole  in  the  window, 
when  no  person  was  within  twenty  feet  of  it,  and  the  only 
persons  in  the  room  were  himself  and  Harry,  the  latter 
standing  by  the  Doctor's  side  in  the  doorway  of  the  room 
— a  position  in  which  it  was  utterly  impossible  for  him  to 
have  done  it  without  detection. 

"  The  mysterious  visitors,  whoever  they  were,  seemed 
at  times  to  be  actuated  by  a  spirit  of  sheer  mischief  in  the 
destruction  of  property,  particularly  glass  and  crockery. 
Even  the  glass  in  the  carriage-top  was  broken  out.  Pitch- 
ers of  water  were,  on  two  or  three  occasions,  poured  into 
the  beds,  and  the  pitchers  and  other  vessels  thrown  about 
the  room  and  broken.  The  damage  to  furniture  during 
the  whole  time  was  nearly  two  hundred  dollars.  Some- 
times there  was  a  cessation  of '  hostihties'  for  two  or  three 
days:  but  they  would  then  return  with  additional  \do- 
lence ;  in  fact  they  increased  gradually  in  violence  from 
the  beginning  to  the  middle  of  April.  On  the  evening  of 
that  day,  and  during  the  night,  they  were  more  violent 


ALARMING   WONDERS.  69 

and  destructive  than  ever  before.  On  the  night  of  the 
thirteenth  of  April,  loud  pounding  and  beating,  as  with 
some  hard  substance,  were  frequent  in  the  room  adjoin- 
ing that  in  with  Dr.  P.  slept ;  so  loud  and  continued  were 
they,  that  at  one  o'clock  no  person  in  the  house  had  been 
able  to  sleep.  Soon  after,  a  small  drawer  was  taken  from 
a  dressing-table,  and  beaten  so  violently  against  the  bed- 
stead as  to  break  it  into  fragments,  some  of  which  were 
thro^vn  against  the  windows,  breakmg  two  panes  of  glass. 
The  knockings  were  now  transferred  to  Mrs.  P.'s  room. 
She  was  pinched,  pricked  with  pins,  and  otherwise  annoy- 
ed in  a  manner  beyond  explanation,  '  on  any  known  laws 
of  matter  or  mind.'  Mr.  W.  0.  was  staying  in  the  house 
that  night.  He  went  to  the  room  by  request,  and  propo- 
sed to  interrogate  them,  as  they  were  then  doing  at  Ro- 
chester and  other  places  in  Western  New- York.  Being 
left  to  act  his  pleasure,  he  queried,  and  was  replied  to  as 
follows:  'Who  are  you?  If  a  spirit,  knock.'  Imme- 
diately there  were  heard  on  the  head  of  the  bed  distinct 
loiocks.  Question. — '  Are  you  a  good  or  bad  spirit  ?  If 
good,  knock.'  To  this  there  was  no  answering  sound. 
'  If  a  bad  spirit,  knock.'  At  once  the  same  sounds  as  be- 
fore were  heard.  Question. — '  Will  you  spell  your  name 
if  the  alphabet  is  called?'  Answer. — Knock.  It  was 
done  ;  and  a  name  was  spelled  out,  and  a  communication 
made  of  a  most  extraordinary  character,  detailing  the 
particulars  of  a  transaction  in  which  a  portion  of  the  family 
were  said  to  have  been  defrauded  out  of  a  large  property. 
As  this  whole  communication  relates  to  a  matter  which 
may  yet  come  before  the  tribunals  of  our  country  for  ad- 
judication, I  am  expressly  prohibited  from  making  any 
extracts  from  this  part  of  the  journal.  I  regret  this  more, 
as  the  facts  in  this  case  form  one  of  the  most  wonderful 
and  unaccountable  cases  on  record. 

"  The  family  concluded  that,  after  these  important  dis- 
closures were  made,  the  disturbances  would  cease ;  but 
they  were  doomed  to  be  disappointed.  The  following 
night  no  communications  were  made,  but  the  throwing 
of  articles  and  breaking  of  windows,  crockery,  etc.,  were 
renewed  with  greater  violence  than  before.  Four  or  five 
panes  of  glass  were  broken  in  one  room  in  the  space  of 


60  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

half  an  hour.  While  the  family  were  together  in  the  east 
chamber,  a  small  sauce-dish,  with  an  iron  handle,  rose  from 
the  floor,  under  the  wash-stand,  and  beat  against  the  bed- 
stead with  such  violence  as  to  break  the  handle  ofi",  and 
was  then  thrown  back  from  whence  it  started.  It  beat 
seven  or  eight  times  against  the  bedstead,  producing  a 
noise  that  could  easily  be  heard  twenty  rods.  A  round 
of  a  chair  was  beaten  against  the  bedstead,  in  the  same 
manner,  when  there  was  no  person  within  seven  or  eight 
feet  of  it.  A  lamp  that  was  on  the  mantel  leaped  into  the 
middle  of  the  floor,  and  was  extinguished.  Being  left 
thus  suddenly  in  the  dark,  produced  no  little  agitation, 
and  Mrs.  Phelps  proposed  that  they  should  take  the  child- 
ren and  go  into  the  street,  rather  than  stay  in  the  house 
that  night.  In  a  few  minutes  two  gentlemen,  who  had 
appointed  to  spend  the  night  with  them,  arrived,  and  the 
more  violent  of  the  manifestations  ceased. 

About  this  time.  Dr.  P.'s  attention  was  called  to  the 
fact  that  the  demonstrations  were  much  more  violent  in 
the  presence  of  some  persons  than  of  others.  While  some 
were  present  they  would  cease  entirely,  and  commence  as 
soon  as  they  left  with  great  vehemence. 

On  the  I7th  the  communications  were  renewed,  and 
from  that  time  they  had  frequent  communications,  mainly 
respecting  the  property  afiair.  At  one  time  they  asked 
how  they  should  know  that  this  was  really  from  the  spirit 
it  purported  to  be,  and  requested  his  signature ;  when  in 
less  than  four  minutes  a  smaU  piece  of  paper  having  on  it 
an  exact  fac  simile  of  his  handwriting  was  seen  sticking  to 
the  wall — ^the  writing  apparently  done  with  a  pencil.  Dr. 
Phelps  still  preserves  the  original  paper  with  the  name 
inked  over.  It  was  stuck  to  the  wall  by  being  made 
damp." 

We  shall  abridge  the  rest  of  this  marvellous  relation  for 
want  of  room.  Inquiries  have  satisfied  us  that  it  is  a  true 
relation  of  facts  as  they  occurred ;  be  it  owing  to  spirits 
in  "the  form"  or  out. 

"  Among  the  spirits  who  communicated  were  two,  who 
professed  to  be  in  a  state  of  happiness,  and  three  in  a 


^m"^^ 


AI-.AEMING   WONDEKS.  61 

state  of  misery.  One  of  the  good  spirits  claimed  to  be  a 
sister  of  him'^who  made  the  first  communication;  she 
commmiicated  frequently,  and  constantly  manifested  her- 
self in  the  morning  and  evening  devotions  of  the  family, 
and  always  gave  two  distinct  knocks  at  the  utterance  of 
'  Amen.'  Upon  inquiry  as  to  the  meaning  of  these  two 
knocks,  the  answer  was  given  that  it  was  a  response,  after 
the  manner  of  the  EjDiscopal  service,  signifying  that  she 
joined  in  the  devotions. 

"  Much  that  was  communicated  after  the  first  few  days 
was  of  a  trifling  and  childish  character ;  some,  more  like 
what  would  be  received  from  street-rowdies  than  any 
thing  else.  To  the  question  why  they  destroyed  pro- 
perty, they  replied,  '  For  fun.'  It  was  asked  of  the  op- 
posing spii'it  what  could  be  done  to  afibrd  him  relief;  he 
answered  that  '  The  best  thing  they  could  do  would  be 
to  give  him  a  piece  of  iDie.'  Sometimes  letters  would 
come,  purj)orting  to  be  from  ministers  of  Philadelphia, 
giving  accounts  of  conversions  in  their  congregations  and 
additions  to  their  churches.  These  were  addressed  to 
the  Dr.,  and  indicated  a  knowledge  of  things  in  Philadel- 
phia to  an  astonishing  degree.  Some  of  the  letters  were 
addressed  to  Mrs.  Phelps,  signed,  or  rather  purporting  to 
to  be  signed,  by  departed  spirits  of  persons  who  had  lived 
in  Philadelphia,  and  all,  or  nearly  all,  who  had  lived  in  a 
single  square,  and  were  the  acquaintances  of  Mrs.  Phelps, 
during  a  residence  in  that  city,  in  the  time  of  her  former 
marriage.  Sentimental  notes  were  also  addressed  to  the 
daughter.  These  letters  and  billets  were  frequent, 
amounting  in  all  to  nearly  one  hundred,  and  were  all  writ- 
ten in  one  hand,  though  purporting  to  come  from  difier- 
ent  persons.  The  fact  was  at  one  time  referred  to,  and  an 
explanation  desired,  to  which  the  following  was  given : 
'  We  do  not  write  with  the  hand — do  not  touch  the  pen- 
cil ;  we  write  with  the  will.'  At  one  time  a  paper  ^  was 
thrown  down  to  Mrs.  Phelps,  while  in  the  parlor  with  a 
number  of  ladies,  having  written  on  it,  with  a  pencil,  as 
follows : 

" '  SiK :  Sir  Sambo's  compliments,  and  begs  the  laddyes 
to  accept  as  a  token  of  esteem.' 

"  A  lady  in  the  family  of  Dr.  Phelps  had,  in  a  humor- 


m 


62  A  THKEE-FOLD  TEST. 

ous  way,  requested  the  spirits  to  wiite  her  a  letter  that 
she  might  send  to  a  friend  in  Philadelphia.  The  spirit 
complied  with  the  request  by  sending  down  the  fol- 
lowing : 

" '  Dear  Mary  :  I  have  just  time  to  write  and  tell  you 
I  am  well.  Give  my  love  to  Miss  K.  and  her  uncle.  Also 
to  Mrs.  and  Mr.  D.    Also  to  Sarah.     Good  by. 

'' '  H.  P.  Devil.' 

"  The  initials  of  the  lady's  name,  who  asked  for  the 
letter,  were  H.  P. 

"  Papers  were  also  thrown  down,  signed  '  Beelzebub,' 
and  '  Sam  Slick.'  Sometimes  names  of  persons,  whom 
the  family  had  known  in  Philadelphia,  but  who  had  been 
dead  several  years,  were  signed  to  these  papers. 

"  The  following  was  in  pencil,  and  seems  to  be  w^ritten 
in  the  same  hand  as  the  other.  It  was  superscribed,  "  E. 
Phelps" : 

" '  If  you  promise  not  to  write  that  I  told  you,  I  wiU 
not  throAV  any  thing  all  this  week.' 

"  On  the  28th  of  July,  1850,  two  singular  letters  were 
thrown  down,  addressed  to  Dr.  Phelps.  They  were  both 
in  one  hand-writing,  but  were  signed  by  two  different 
orthodox  clergymen  of  Philadelphia.  Their  interest  in 
religious  movements,  and  their  acquaintance  with  the 
phraseology  of  'revival'  correspondence,  are  seen  at  a 
glance.  '  St.  Peter's,'  in  the  second  letter,  is  a  Puseyite 
church. 

"'Dear  Brother:  The  Lord  is  deaUng  bountifully 
with  his  chosen  people.  Brother  Barnes  admitted  to  the 
church  forty-nine  last  Sunday,  and  Brother  Parker  thirty- 
four  to-day.  Brother  Converse  has  had  the  cholera,  and 
Brother  Fau'child  has  grown  so  fleshy  as  scarcely  to  be 
recognized.  Our  friend  Mr.  Tarr  has  buried  his  wife. 
She  died  of  consumption.  E.  Tarr  is  married.  Brother 
Mahu,  being  suddenly  inspired  last  Sunday,  spoke  so  elo- 
quently and  so  loud,  and  used  such  majestic  action,  as  to 
be  quite  done  up  for  a  while.  He  broke  a  blood-vessel. 
Old  Tiers  has  gone  crazy,  and  is  shut  up  in  a  mad-house, 

or  rather  a  hospital.     The  H s  have  gone  into  the 

country  to  spend  some  time.     That's  all  the  news. 
"  '  Your  faithful  brother  in  Christ, 

"'K.  A.' 


ALARMING  WONDERS.  63 

"*Dear  Brother:  The  milleimium  truly  is  coming. 
The  day  of  the  Lord  is  at  hand.  We  are  adding  count- 
less numbers  to  the  altar  of  the  Lord.     Brother  A 

became  inspired  last  Sunday,  to  such  a  degree,  that  his 
soul  took  its  flight  to  the  regions  above,  and  has  not  yet 
returned.  The  Cathohc  churches,  St.  Joseph's  and  St. 
Mary's,  were  burned  down ;  St.  Peter's,  also — I  beheve 
that  is  a  Catholic  church.  Brother  Mahu  was  preaching 
from  the  text,  '  Resist  the  devil,'  etc.,  when  he  was  sud- 
denly overturned  by  an  iuvisible  power,  which  frightened 
him  so  that  his  hair  turned  white  in  five  minutes. 

" '  Brother  Barnes,  to  render  his  church  more  attractive, 
is  going  to  have  opera-singing  and  dancing,  every  Sun- 
day P.M.  Mrs.  Alexander  Tower,  old  Mr.  Tiers,  Brother 
Fairchild,  and  Mrs.  Somerville,  are  going  to  dance.  I 
think  they  will  find  it  a  very  lucrative  employment.  Jane 
and  Martha  still  progress  in  Hebrew. 

" '  Your  affectionate  brother, 

"'M.  R.' 

"  On  one  occasion,  Dr.  Phelps  was  writing  at  his  desk, 
and,  turning  his  back  for  a  few  moments,  without  leaving 
his  chair,  turned  again  to  his  paper,  where  he  found  wiit- 
ten  in  large  letters:  'Very  nice  paper  and  very  nice  ink 
for  the  devil.'  The  ink  was  not  yet  dry,  the  desk  was 
not  two  feet  from  him  as  he  sat,  and  he  was  entirely  alone 
in  the  room. 

"  On  a  subsequent  occasion  a  chair  was  placed  upon  the 
table  by  invisible  power,  and  the  two  children,  Harry  and 
Hannah,  raised  up  and  placed  upon  it ;  they  could  neither 
of  them  tell  how  it  was  done.  The  sensation  was  tha,t 
of  some  person  placing  a  hand  under  them  and  raising 
them  up.  Many  of  these  things  occurred  when  the  room 
was  darkened,  as  has  been  the  case  in  numerous  other 
places,  and  for  which  explanations  have  been  recorded, 
as  given  by  the  spirits.  On  the  evening  of  the  20tli  of 
October,  the  light  being  put  out  of  the  room,  the  bell 
was  placed  under  the  table,  with  a  request  that  it  should 
be  rung,  and  placed  in  the  Doctor's  hand.  He  was  sitting 
by  the  table  with  both  his  hands  lying  on  his  lap  open, 
with  the  palms  upward.  The  bell  rang  several  times  with 
some  violence,  and  then  was  placed  in  his  left  hand.   This 


64  A  THREE-rOLD  TEST. 

was  repeated  four  or  five  times  in  succession.  Dr.  P.  sat 
beyond  the  reach  of  any  one,  and  the  room  was  suffi- 
ciently light  for  him  to  have  detected  any  movement  on 
the  part  of  persons  present.  He  requested  them  to  let 
liim  feel  the  hand  that  placed  the  bell  in  his.  Very  soon 
a  hand  came  in  contact  with  his,  took  hold  of  his  fingers, 
shaking  his  hand,  passed  slowly  over  the  back  of  his  hand, 
then  over  the  palm  again,  took  hold  of  his  fingers,  and  he 
felt  what  he  is  sure  to  have  been  a  human  hand.  He  de- 
scribes it  as  being  cold  and  moist,  which  accords  with  my 
own  experience  repeatedly,  and  that  of  my  friends.  They 
then  took  hold  of  his  foot,  shook  it  with  much  force, 
loosened  the  string,  took  ofi"  the  shoe,  and  placed  it  upon 
the  table  before  him.  At  his  request  the  shoe  was  re- 
placed, the  heel  adjusted,  and  the  strings  drawn  up,  but 
not  tied." 

The  manifestations  in  the  City  of  New-Yoek  have 
been  very  abundant.  The  fbllowing  is  a  sample  given  by 
Mr.  C. 

FLOATTN^G  IN"  THE  AIR  ! 

"  At  some  of  the  sittings  of  this  circle,  Mr.  Henry  C. 
Gordon,  a  medium,  was  taken  up  bodily,  and  conveyed 
about  the  room,  without  any  visible  power  to  support 
him.  Sometimes  his  head  and  hands  came  in  contact 
with  the  ceiling  of  the  room,  and  he  would  float  about 
the  room  in  the  air  for  several  minutes.  At  the  house  of 
Dr.  Gray,  in  Lafayette  Place,  he  was  thus  carried  through 
difierent  apartments  for  a  distance  of  more  than  sixty 
feet.  This  is  attested  by  many  credible  witnesses,  among 
whom  are  Dr.  Gray  and  Mr.  Partridge." 

In  BosTOi^,  Providence,  Trot,  Buffalo,  and  almost 
every  city  and  large  town  in  the  JSTorthern  States,  more 
or  less  of  similar  phenomena  have  occurred,  and  still 
occur ;  and  these  are  attested  by  thousands  of  witnesses, 
it  is  said ;  and  no  investigator  has  been  able  to  support  a 
denial  of  the  astounding  wonders.  For  instance,  such 
facts  as  the  following  by  scores  can  be  collected  with 
names,  places,  and  dates  appended. 


A   WRESTLING   SPIEIT.  65 

"  WRESTLING  WITH  A  SPIEIT. 

"  Several  friends  had  come  together  to  witness  the  strange 
power  that  seemed  to  be  at  work  at  the  house  of  Brother 
J.  A.  While  the  rapping  was  going  on,  one  of  the  com- 
pany denounced  the  whole  thing,  said  he  did  not  believe 
it  was  spirits ;  or  if  it  was,  they  could  not  rap  and  move 
tables,  etc.  And  he  defied  and  dared  the  spirits,  saying 
he  could  throw  down  or  whip  any  spirit.  The  Doctor  then 
inquired  of  the  spmt  that  was  rapping  at  the  time  if  he 
could  wrestle ;  he  said  he  could.  The  spirit  was  then 
asked  if  he  was  willing  to  wrestle  and  show  fight  with  that 
gentleman  ;  he  said  he  was.  The  brave  man  then  told 
the  spirit  to  follow  him  out  into  the  yard,  and  started,  all 
the  circle  rising  from  the  table,  when  it  commenced  mov- 
ing towards  the  man,  rose  from  the  floor  and  hit  him  se- 
veral hard  blows  before  he  reached  the  door,  which  has- 
tened his  steps ;  and,  as  he  passed  out,  the  table,  or  rath- 
er stand,  was  thrown  at  him,  only  missing  him  a  little, 
striking  the  door-facing  about  midway,  denting  and  scar- 
ring the  facing,  bursting  off  the  top  of  the  stand,  break- 
ing the  legs,  splitting  the  upright  post,  leaving  indenta- 
tions as  though  bullets  and  shot  had  been  fired  into  it, 
the  medium  not  touching  it,  only  following  close  after,  and 
out  into  the  yard,  where  the  spirit-fighter  had  arrived  mi- 
hurt. 

"  But  now  commenced  a  new  struggle  :  he  began  strik- 
ing, jumping  as  though  he  was  contending  with  flesh  and 
blood,  manifesting  all  the  signs  of  determined  bravery, 
and  to  fight  it  out  to  the  last.  He  was  several  times 
thrown  hard  on  the  ground,  then  struggled  and  regained 
his  feet,  and  down  he  would  come  again.  This  mode  of 
testing  the  invisibles  continued  until  the  spirit's  adversary 
was  sorely  wounded,  and  worried  out  of  breath  and  phy- 
sical strength.  He  finally  regained  his  foothold,  and  made 
a  hasty  retreat  into  the  house  up  a  flight  of  stairs,  taking 
to  himself  a  private  room,  closing  the  door  after  him, 
'  declaring  that  he  never  wanted  to  fight  spirits  any  more, 
and  that  if  they  would  let  him  alone  he  would  let  them 
alone.' 

"  Furdy,  (Ohio,)  June  19th,  1853. 

"  S.  T>,  Pace." 
— Tdegrapli  Papers,  vol.  2,  p.  72. 


66  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

The  following  is  taken  from  the  '-^Ghristian  spiritual- 
ist;' of  Dec.  29th,  1855. 

"spiritual  performers  and  musical  wonders. 

"  Gov.  N.  p.  Tallmadge  not  long  since,  in  a  communi- 
cation to  the  National  Intellige7icei%  testified  to  the  fol- 
lowing facts.  Comment  is  unnecessary,  since  similar  ex- 
hibitions of  spirit-skill  and  power  have  been  manifested 
in  various  parts  of  the  country,  and  testified  to  by  men 
and  women  of  undoubted  intelligence  and  veracity. 

"  If,  however,  things  go  on  at  this  rate,  Pres.  Mahan 
will  need  to  wi'ite  another  book,  to  oppose  the  modern 
mysteries  of  the  '•  Odylic  forced  for  that  power  seems  to 
be  '  playing  such  strange '  and  knowing  timcs^  that  his 
theology  and  philosophy  "will  sufier  alike,  if  he  does  not 
make  the  efibrt  to  save  them. 

"The  Governor  says  :  'Inmy  introduction  to  the  "Heal- 
ing of  the  Nations"  I  state  the  following  case  :  In  June, 
1853,  after  my  return  from  New- York,  where  I  had  mt- 
nessed  many  manifestations,  I  called  on  a  writing  medium 
in  my  neighborhood.  A  communication  came  through 
her  to  me,  directing  me  to  form  a  circle  in  my  own  family, 
and  that  a  medium  would  be  developed  that  would  be  all 
I  could  desire.  I  asked  who  it  would  be  ?  It  was  ans- 
wered a  daughter.  I  asked  which  daughter,  as  I  have 
four  daughters.  It  was  answered  Emily.  I  was  then  di- 
rected, when  a  circle  should  be  formed  at  my  house,  to 
put  Emily  at  the  piano.  I  asked  :  '  Will  you  teach  her  to 
play  ?'  It  was  answered  :  '  You  will  see.'  EmUy  is  my 
youngest  daughter,  and  at  that  time  about  thirteen  years 
of  age.  It  is  here  proper  to  remark  that  she  never  knew 
X  note  in  music,  and  never  'played  a  tune  on  the  piano  in 
her  life.  The  reason  is  this  :  The  country  was  entirely 
new  when  we  moved  here,  and  there  was  no  opportunity 
at  that  time  for  instruction  in  music.  She  was  instructed 
in  other  branches  of  education  at  home  by  myself,  or  some 
other  member  of  the  family.  I  soon  formed  a  circle  in  my 
own  family,  as  directed.  Emily  took  paper  and  pencil. 
Soon  her  hand  was  moved  to  draw  straight  lines  across  the 
l^aper  till  she  made  what  is  termed  a  staff  in  music.  She 
then  wrote  notes  upon  it ;  then  made  all  the  different  signs 


MUSICAL   WONDERS.  67 

in  music,  about  all  which  she  knew  nothing.  She  then  threw 
down  her  pencil,  and  began  to  strike  the  table  as  if  striking 
the  keys  of  the  piano.  This  reminded  me  that  I  had  been  di- 
rected to  place  her  at  the  piano.  I  proposed  it  to  her, 
and  though  naturally  diffident,  she  at  once  complied,  and 
took  her  seat  with  all  the  composure  and  confidence  of  an 
experienced  performer.  She  struck  the  keys  boldly,  and 
played  "  Beethoven's  Grand  Waltz"  in  a  style  that  would 
do  credit  to  one  well  advanced  in  music.  She  then  play- 
ed many  famihar  airs,  such  as  "  Sweet  Home,"  "  Bonnie 
Doon,"  "Last  Rose  of  Summer,"  "Hail  to  the  Chief,"  "Old 
Folks  at  Home,"  "  Lilly  Dale,"  etc.  She  then  played  an 
air  entirely  new,  and  sang  it  with  words  improvised  or 
impressed  for  the  occasion.  New  and  beautiful  airs  con- 
tinued to  be  sung  and  played  by  her,  the  poetry  and  sen- 
timent being  given  as  before.  She  was  also  soon  deve- 
loped as  a  writing  medium,  and  I  have  received  many 
beautiful  communications  through  her,  and  of  the  purest 
religious  sentiment. 

"  '  I  now  add  the  following  as  cognate  to  the  above  : 
On  one  occasion  I  saw  a  young  lady  entranced,  and  in 
that  state,  with  her  eyes  closed,  played  on  the  piano  from 
one  to  two  hours,  without  intermission,  in  the  most  su- 
perb style.  All  the  pieces  played  purported  to  be  compos- 
ed by  spirits,  and  were  never  heard  or  played  before. 
Amongst  others  was  a  "  dirge,"  which,  to  my  ear,  surpass- 
ed any  music  of  the  kind  I  ever  heard  ;  and  the  music  and 
style  of  playing  it  were  equal  to  what  we  understand  of  the 
most  eminent  performers  and  composers.  She  also  play- 
ed a  "  battle  piece,"  never  heard  before.  Nothing  of  the 
kind  could  surpass  it.  There  was  the  approaches,  the  at- 
tack, the  charge  of  cavalry,  and  parts  representing  the 
peculiarities  of  the  French,  Enghsh,  Irish,  Scotch,  etc. 
The  Scotch  brigade  came  up  under  the  music  of  the  bag- 
pipes ;  and  it  would  seem  impossible  to  give  such  a  per- 
fect imitation  of  the  bagpipes  on  the  piano.  Afterw^ards 
came  the  burial  of  the  dead,  the  slow  and  solemn  music 
to  the  grave,  the  perfect  resemblance  of  the  beating  of 
the  muffled  drum  directly  under  the  feet  of  the  medium, 
the  volleys  of  musketry,  the  booming  of  cannon  at  inter- 
vals in  the  distance,  and  the  quick  and  Hvely  air  on  the 


68  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

return.  The  eyes  of  the  medium  were  closed  during  the 
whole  performance.  The  style  of  playing  and  the  finger- 
ing of  the  instrument  were  entirely  different^  and  the  ar- 
tistic skill  far  surpassed  her  playing  in  her  normal  state. 
In  truth,  except  under  this  influence,  she  had  not  the  phy- 
sical ability  to  play  such  a  length  of  time  without  inter- 
mission. She  purported  to  be  influenced  by  some  of  the 
*'  old  masters."  The  style  of  the  music  was  changed  from 
time  to  time,  as  if  some  new  performer  had  just  appeared. 
During  the  performance,  the  piano  at  intervals,  and  for 
fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  in  succession,  would  beat  time 
to  the  music  by  raising  the  two  front  feet  from  the  floor, 
and  still  striking  the  floor  so  gently  as  not  to  disturb  the 
music  in  the  least.  The  piano  was  so  large  and  ponde- 
rous that  a  strong  man  could  scarcely  raise  the  front  feet 
from  the  floor. 

"  '  On  another  occasion,  while  four  of  us,  the  medium 
being  one,  were  sitting  round  the  parlor-fire,  the  piano 
on  the  opposite  side  of  a  large  room  was  played  with  no 
human  being  near  it.  The  performance  was  of  the  most 
splendid  character.  I  have  often  heard  Strakosch  and 
De  Meyer,  and  say,  without  hesitation,  that  in  style  and 
execution  they  never  surpassed  it.  The  piano  was  then 
closed  by  the  spirits.  The  same  music  was  repeated, 
with  this  difference  only — that  it  was  not  so  loud  on  ac- 
count of  the  piano  being  closed.  The  piano  was  then 
opened  by  the  same  power,  and  played  by  striking  the 
strings  on  the  inside  instead  of  the  keys.  Oh !  what  a 
wonderful  thing  is  this  "  odyhc  force,"  that  supersedes 
mind  in  making  intelligence.'  " 

A  friend  of  the  writer  was  favored  in  the  midst  of  his 
own  family,  with  a  performance  of  this  kind.  A  table 
that  had  been  set  into  a  tortuous  motion,  by  the  medium- 
ship  of  little  children,  danced  in  common,  triple,  or  com- 
pound time,  to  the  music  of  a  piano ;  varying  its  motions 
according  to  the  changes  in  the  time.  Certainly  in  this 
and  the  foregoing  instances,  the  operations  of  mind  and 
matter  were  combined  in  a  marvellous  way. 


THE  INTELLIGENCE  DISPLAYED.  69 

We  have  confined  ourselves  to  the  mention  of  physical 
manifestations,  but  these  are  not  held  to  be  the  highest 
evidence  of  the  fact  that  spirits  do  communicate  with 
mortals.  The  intelligence  that  is  conveyed  through  them, 
must  come  from  hitellect^  and  as  in  every  instance  it  comes 
with  avowed  independence  of  the  media,  and  often  with 
confounding  power  to  the  persons  addressed,  it  is  claimed 
that  the  proof  of  the  recently-developed  spiritual  inter- 
course between  the  living  and  their  departed  friends, 
is  as  complete  as  any  rational  man  can  ask.  We  give  an 
instance  of  this  intelligence  taken  from  the  author  afore- 
said, pp.  284-287. 

THE  INTELLIGENCE  DISPLAYED. 

"  One  of  the  most  remarkable  cases  is  thus  recorded 
by  Mr.  Elisha  Waters,  of  Troy.  He  made  the  statement 
as  follows  in  the  Spiritual  Tdegraph  : 

"  '  Wateeford,  N".  Y.,  March  21th,  1853. 

"  '  Me.  Beittan  :  Deae  Sie  :  At  a  circle  held  in  this 
village  on  the  5th  of  this  month,  there  were  some  "  man- 
ifestations''' which  bear  so  directly  on  the  dispute  in  re- 
gard to  the  cause  of  the  strange  phenomena  now  so  pre- 
valent, that  a  brief  account  may  not  be  uninteresting  to 
your  readers. 

"  '  Several  mediums,  in  various  stages  of  development, 
were  present,  and  a  great  variety  of  manifestations  were 
made,  mainly  in  the  form  of  '"'•  possession."*^  In  the  course 
of  the  evening,  Mr.  John  Prosser,  a  gentleman  residing 
in  Waterford,  and  subject  to  this  possession  in  its  most 
thorough  form,  was  under  the  control  of  a  spirit  that  an- 
nounced that  no  one  in  the  room  ever  knew  or  heard  of 
him,  but  that  he  was  drawn  to  the  circle  by  strong  at- 
traction. He  said  he  was  over  a  hundred  years  old  when 
he  left  the  form  ;  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
and  had  frequently  seen  Washington,  of  whom  he  spoke 
with  great  reverence.  He  told  us,  as  the  result  of  his 
long  experience,  to  do  our  oAvn  thinking,  and  to  read  the 


10  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

great  Book  of  Nature  for  our  guidance ;  but  that  we 
should  not  '-^fighV  the  Church  or  the  clergy,  for  their 
struggles  would  injure  themselves  more  than  others,  and 
only  help  forward  their  approaching  and  long  fore-writ- 
ten doom.  He  added,  that  the  truth  of  spiritualism 
would  now  shine  out  without  any  aid  from  iconoclastic 
zeal.  I  should,  perhaps,  to  do  justice,  say  that  he  spoke 
of  the  Church  as  having  accomplished  a  work,  and  as 
about  to  die  a  natural  death  after  its  great  mission  had 
been  fulfilled. 

"  '  I  will  give  his  closing  remarks  verbatim  et  literatim. 

'  lN"ow,  this  is  every  word  true  I'm  telling  ye.  I'll  tell 
ye,  so  that  if  you've  a  mind  to  take  a  little  pains,  you 
can  find  out  that  this  is  jest  exactly  as  I  tell  it  ye.  I  lived 
at  Point  Pleasant,  New- Jersey,  and  if  you  want  to  know, 
you  jest  ask  if  old  Uncle  John  Chamberlain  didn't  speak 
the  truth.' 

"  '  He  stopped  speaking,  and  the  usual  signs  of  a  change 
of  possession  followed,  when  some  one  remarked  that  it 
was  a  pity  he  had  not  given  more  particulars,  as  it  would 
have  been,  under  the  circumstances,  so  thorough  a  test. 
It  soon  became  evident  that  Mr.  Prosser's  grandfather 
(who  is,  in  a  sense,  his  "  guardian")  had  possession.  He 
turned  his  face  good-humoredly  around  the  circle,  and 
remarked,  that,  as  he  saw  many  were  anxious  to  hear 
more  from  the  *'  old  man,"  he  would  come  back  for  a  lit- 
tle while.  After  a  short  interval  of  quiet,  Mr.  Prosser's 
whole  manner  changed  to  that  which  he  had  while  the 
former  speaker  had  possession,  and  these  were  his 
words : 

'  My  friends,  I  did  not  expect  to  speak  with  you  again, 
but  I  want  to  give  you  this  as  a  test.  I  died  on  Friday, 
the  15th  day  of  January,  1847,  and  I  was  the  father  of 
eleven  children.  Now,  if  you've  a  mind  to  take  a  little 
pains,  you  will  find  this  is  all  jest  as  I  tell  it  ye.  I  don't 
talk  as  you  do,  but  if  you  hke  to  hear  an  old  man,  I  will 
come  again.     Good  by :   I  must  go.' 

"  '  It  would  be  impossible  to  give  an  adequate  notion 


SURPRISING   INTELLIGENCE.  1l 

of  the  plain,  unvarnished  truthfuhiess  which  shone  out 
through  every  word  and  gesture  of  his  discourse.  Other 
"  manifestations,"  of  a  siimlar  character,  followed,  and  the 
circle  broke  up. 

" '  On  the  following  evening,  a  circle  was  held  at  another 
house,  but  few  of  the  members  of  the  former  circle  bemg 
present,  with  some  other  persons.  Mr.  Prosser  was  the 
only  medium  present.  Old  Uncle  John  Chamberlain 
made  his  appearance  again,  and  repeated  the  statistical 
part  of  his  communication,  when  it  was  found  that  the 
scribe  had  written  Pleasant  Pointy  instead  of  Point 
Pleasant. 

"  'After  finding  out  that  there  was  such  a  post-office 
in  New-Jersey  as  the  latter,  and  that  the  15th  of  January 
did  fall  on  Friday  in  the  year  1847,  we  wrote  to  the  post- 
master, and  were  informed  that  the  "  old  man"  was  strictly 
correct  in  his  account  of  himself  We  send  you  extracts 
from  the  letters  received,  which  will  suffice  to  show  the 
remarkable  fidelity  of  the  spirit's  statements  to  the  facts 
of  his  personal  history. 

'  We,  the  undersigned,  were  present  at  the  first  circle 
mentioned  above,  and  think  the  account  of  it  correct. 
We  also  affirm  that  we  had  never,  to  the  best  of  our  re- 
collection, known  or  heard  aught  of  John  Chamberlain, 
or  any  of  the  facts  connected  with  his  hfe  or  death  ;  nor 
did  we  know  that  there  was  such  a  place  as  Point  Pleas 
ant  in  New-Jersey. 

John  Prosser,  E.  Waters, 

Sarah  S.  Prosser,         N.  F.  White, 
Juliet  E.  Perkins,        Mrs.  N.  D.  Ross, 
A.  A.  Thurber,  N.  D.  Ross, 

Letty  a.  Boyce,  J.  H.  Rainey, 

Albert  Kendrick,         Mrs.  J.  H.  Rainey.' 

"  '  LETTER  TO   THE  POSTMASTER    OF   POINT  PLEASANT. 

'  Troy,  February  23d:,  1853.  ^ 

'  Dear  Sir  :  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  inform  me  if 

there  has  died  in  your  town,  within  a  few  years,  an  aged 

man  by  the  name  of  Chamberlam  ?     If  so,  please  give 

me  the  particulars  of  the  time  of  his  death,  age,  etc. ; 


A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 


also,  give  me  the  name  of  one  of  the  family  with  whom 
I  can  correspond.* 

'  Very  truly  yours,  E.  Waters.' 


"  '  THE   ANSWER. 

'Point  Pleasant,  ^th  day^  March^  1853. 
'  E.  Waters  :  Friend  :  I  received  thy  letter,  dated 
28th  ult.,  requesting  some  information  of  John  Chamber- 
lain. With  pleasure  I  will  give  thee  a  correct  account, 
for  I  have  known  him  well  for  fifty  years,  and  lived  a 
neighbor  to  him.  He  deceased  January  15th,  1847,  aged 
one  hundred  and  four  years.  He  had  seven  children 
that  lived  to  be  married ;  three  of  them  have  deceased 
and  left  children.  He  has  four  daughters  living  at  this 
time ;  three  of  them  are  neighbors  to  me ;  the  oldest 
daughter  is  a  widow,  seventy-eight  years  old  ;  three  have 
husbands ;  one  of  them  lives  twenty  miles  from  me.  As 
they  have  very  httle  learning,  they  request  thee  to  cor- 
respond with  me.  With  pleasure  I  will  give  thee  every 
information  that  lays  in  my  power. 

Very  truly  thine, 

'  Thomas  Cook. 


'  P.  S.  —  He  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier ;  served  in 
the  war,  and  drew  a  small  pension.  T.  C'  " 


"A  FUNNY   SPIRIT. 

"St.  Louis,  February,  1856. 
"After  the  accident  at  the  Gasconade  bridge  last 
ISTovember,  some  of  us  were  much  interested  in  seeking 
communications  with  the  departed,  some  thirty  in  number, 
and  the  most  of  whom  were  personally  known  to  us. 
Among  others,  one  night,  we  were  pleased  with  the  an- 
nouncement that  the  spirit  of  Thomas  Grey  desired  to  be 
questioned.     Grey  was  an  old  citizen,  a  very  worthy  man, 

*  '  Friend  Brittan  :  After  receiving  the  accompanying  answer,  I 
wrote  again,  making  inquiry  respecting  the  number  of  children  he  had, 
and  received  in  reply  that  he  had  eleven ;  that  two  died  in  mfancy, 
and  that  the  remaining  nine  lived  to  be  of  ago.  Truly  yours." 


m 


A   FUNNY    SPlllIT.  73 

a  self-educated  mechanic,  and  fond  of  his  joke  and  social 
glass,  although  not  intemperate  at  any  time.  The  party 
consisted  of  Hamilton  Wade,  Charles  Levy,  myselt;  and 
Miss  Sarah  J.  Irish,  the  medium. 

"  To  those  who  are  not  familiar  with  the  manifestations 
as  given  through  her,  I  will  state  that  she  calls  the  alpha- 
bet to  the  raps,  with  such  rapidity^  that  very  few  can 
keep  up  with  her  in  taking  them  down;  and  that  it  is 
useless  for  the  fastest  of  us  to  try  to  put  them  into  words 
until  afterward,  when,  by  spacing,  it  reads  correctly. 

"Quest.  1.  Do  you  have  clothing  there?  He  replied : 
'As  to  clothing,  Charley,  we  have  that  for  a  desire;  friends 
clothe  us  till  we  understand  the  laws  of  particles  suffi- 
ciently to  clothe  ourselves.' 

"  2.  Do  you  have  animals  in  the  spirit-world  ?  '  I  have 
not  seen  any  animal  hut  myself  since  I  left  St.  Louis.' 

"  3.  Have  you  a  shadow-land  there,  or  something  ans- 
wering to  Purgatory?  'I  do  not  know  what  you  are 
talking  about.  We  have  lights  and  shades,  sunshine 
and  shadows,  in  number  enuff  to  satisfy  any  body.  If 
that  is  what  you  want  to  know,  there  you  have  it.' 

"  4.  Is  there  any  difference  between  the  body  that  you 
possess  and  of  those  spirits  that  have  died  a  natural  death  ? 
'  I  see  many  like  me,  and  many  onlike  me.  Of  the  two  I 
like  my  own  appearance  best ;  it  is  most  airtheriaV 

"  5.  Were  you  not  surprised,  on  your  entrance  into  the 
spirit-world,  at  its  naturalness?  'No;  I  never  was  upset 
or  astonished  at  any  thing.  It  is  the  strange  kind  of 
heaven  they  have  put  me  in,  that  I  am  most  astonished 
at.' 

"6.  How  do  you  get  along  without  your  regular  glass  ? 
'  I  am  astonished  at  the  wonderful  manner  I  get  along 
without  weting  my  whistle,  and  not  geting  dry  in  the  least 
on  account  of  it.' 

"  At  this  point  Mr.  Wade  addressed  him,  and  desired  to 
know  if  he  could  not  assemble  there  thirty  persons  to- 
gether, and  unite  in  a  communication  that  should  convince 
the  citizens  of  St.  Louis  of  the  reality  of  spiritual  inter- 
course, by  containing  such  a  volume  of  tests  as  should 
confound  skepticism  ?  He  rapped  out :  '  All  very  fine  to 
talk  about,  Mr.  What-is-your-name,  and  I  should  be  very 


m. 


74  A   TIIREE-FOLD   TEST. 

glad  to  accomidate  you,  but  your  fdler-citizens  would 
believe  that  it  came  from  us  about  as  much  as  from  a 
hen's-foot  marrow-bone.     Good  night.' 

"This  last  was  a  beautiful  test  to  the  close  observer. 
Grey  did  not  while  on  earth,  know  Mr.  Wade,  while  he 
knew  Levy  and  myself,  and  the  medium  hnew  him  letter 
tha7i  either  of  us — and  it  was  mathematically  absurd  that 
she  should  spell  out  '  Mr.  What-is-your-name,'  when  she 
knew  him  so  well.  It  was  satisfactory  to  us,  at  least,  of 
his  identity.  "A.  Miltenbeeger." 

— Telegraph  March  Is^,  1856. 

DIABOLICAL   CONDUCT. 

"March  3, 1851. — Locke,  the  English  philosopher,  gave 
the  4th  chapter  of  James,  Vth,  11th,  and  17th  verses :  '7. 
Submit  yourselves,  therefore,  to  God.  Resist  the  devil 
and  he  will  flee  from  you.  11.  Speak  not  evil  one  of 
another,  brethren.  He  that  speaketh  evil  of  his  brother, 
and  judgeth  his  brother,  speaketh  evil  of  the  law,  and 
judgeth  the  law  :  but  if  thou  judge  the  law,  thou  art  not 
a  doer  of  the  law,  but  a  judge.  17.  Therefore,  to  him 
that  knoweth  to  do  good,  and  doeth  it  not,  to  him  it  is 
sin.' 

"  After  the  reading  of  these  verses  was  finished,  he  spell- 
ed: 'I  want  you  to  practise  these  teachings.'  In  an- 
swer to  a  question  what  the  word  devil  meant  in  the  7th 
verse,  he  spelled,  '  Resist  evil.' 

"  Evil,  which  the  spirits  have  been  warning  us  against 
for  several  days  past,  seems  fairly  to  have  broken  loose 
in  our  very  midst,  though  not  exactly  in  our  circle.  At 
a  house  in  the  neighborhood,  where  a  medium  resides, 
(the  medium  spoken  of  heretofore  in  this  work,)  manifes- 
tations have  for  some  days  been  going  on  similar  to  those 
enacted  at  the  house  of  Rev.  Mr.  Phelps,  in  Stratford, 
Connecticut,  at  a  more  early  period  of  Spiritualism. 
Chairs,  stove,  furniture,  and  other  ponderous  things,  are 
thrown  about  the  house ;  bed-clothes  stripped  from  the 
beds  where  people  of  the  house  are  sleeping;  books  thrown 
frequently  from  the  table  to  the  floor ;  missiles  thrown  at 
the  heads  of  people ;  the  medium's  clothes  torn  from  her 


AN   EARTHQUAKE.  75 

body  while  wearing  them ;  tables  moved  and  lifted  from 
the  floor,  with  people  standing  on  them,  etc.,  etc. — and  all 
done  without  contact  with  any  person  or  visible  agency. 
Hundreds  of  people  have  been  there  to  witness  these 
things,  and  will  testify  to  the  truth  of  it.  The  medium 
is  a  young  married  woman,  very  ignorant,  and  reputation 
not  good.  She  says  she  is  frequently  pinched  violently 
on  her  arms  when  no  person  is  near  her,  and  shows  the 
marks  left,  as  if  made  with  the  thumb  and  finger  of  a 
hand.  For  nearly  half  the  time,  for  three  or  four  days, 
she  has  been  in  the  most  frightful  fits,  produced  by  fear, 
and  it  is  thought  that  she  can  not  long  survive  in  this 
condition." — {SpiritualJieasoner,  pp.  58,  59.) 

AN  E^ABTHQUAKE. 

"Maech  19. — ^Locke  came  and  spelled:  'To  cultivate  ax 
even  temper  is  the  first  step  towards  heaven.'  This  was 
no  doubt  intended  for  some  of  our  circle.  While  all  were 
sitting  in  silence,  some  of  the  most  wonderful  spirit  mani- 
festations we  had  ever  witnessed  were  made.  The  whole 
house  seemed  to  shake  and  rock  to  and  fro,  as  if  by  an 
earthquake.  The  windows  rattled,  and  the  medium's 
head  and  upper  part  of  his  body  appeared  to  be  enveloped 
in  the  flames  of  an  electric  fire.  He  was  much  agitated, 
and  trembled  violently.  In  a  few  minutes  all  was  again 
still,  and  Locke  came  and  told  us  the  manifestation  was 
made  by  a  spirit  of  high  elevation  and  exceeding  power. 
He  then  then  told  us  that  Hght  was  spreading  in  Warsaw, 
in  Poland,  more  than  in  any  other  place  where  he  was 
now  communicating  in  Europe.  We  asked  if  the  spirit 
of  liberty  and  a  desire  for  a  restoration  of  their  govern- 
ment were  prevailing  there.  He  spelled:  'The  spirit  of 
Christ  is  spreading  there.'  " — (Idem,  PP«  ^1?  ^2.) 

A  Rude  Spirit. 

"Jan.  26. — -While  conversing  with  the  medium  this 
evening,  in  a  room  apart  from  where  the  rest  of  the  com- 
pany were  assembled,  a  small  stone  struck  with  some 
force  against  the  stove-pipe  and  fell  upon  the  floor,  pro- 
bably to  attract  our  attention ;   then  the  stove  (which 


76  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

would  weigh  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds) 
made  a  sudden  movement,  which  jarred  the  room ;  the 
front  part  moved  around  several  inches.  As  we  were 
some  distance  from  the  stove,  neither  of  us  touching  it, 
we  were  a  Uttle  startled,  and  asked  if  this  was  a  spirit 
manifestation. 

"^.  By  rapping,  '  Yes.' 
^  "  Asked  if  we  remained  passive,  any  other  manifesta- 
tion would  be  made. 

"^.  *  Yes ;'  and  inunediately  we  heard  a  loud  report 
resembling  the  discharge  of  a  pistol,  which  seemed  to 
proceed  from  under  the  stove.  We  then  heard  rapping 
upon  the  floor,  and  we  knew  the  sounds  to  be  those 
made  by  Locke.  We  asked  him  if  he  would  tell  what 
spirit  it  was  made  the  above-named  manifestations.  He 
answered,  *Yes;'  and  spelled,  'Paul.'  We  told  him 
we  had  been  taught  that  the  apostles,  or  spirits  of  elevat- 
ed spheres,  never  made  demonstrations  of  this  kind.  He 
repeated  the  signal  for  the  alphabet,  and  spelled  '  Jones,' 
making  the  name  'Paul  Jones.'  We  had  interrupted 
him  before  he  had  finished  spelling  the  name  in  fiill.  Ho 
said  Jones  was  not  a  bad  spmt.  We  found  the  pebble- 
stone, which  was  thrown  against  the  stove-pipe,  lying  upon 
the  carpet,  and  preserved  it. 

"It  was  a  cold  night,  the  doors  and  windows  all  closed. 
How  the  stone  could  be  got  into  the  room,  is  a  mystery. 
Physical  manifestations  with  us  were  of  rare  occurrence, 
which  is  the  reason  of  describing  this  so  minutely.  We 
have,  however,  frequently  heard  tunes  beat  upon  the 
table,  loud  and  correctly ;  seen  lights  moving  about  the 
room,  etc.,  etc.,  but  this  is  the  first  time  we  had  witnessed 
a  manifestation  of  this  kind."     (Idem,  pp.  109,  110.) 

A  Possession". 

"  June  6. — Mr.  Gardner  is  again  with  us  on  a  visit, 
and  a  new  order  of  manifestations  is  given  through  him. 
His  spiritual  sight  is  opened  under  the  influence  of  spirits, 
and  he  sees  the  communication  to  be  given  in  large  golden 
letters  on  a  groundwork  or  curtain  which  appears  to  be 
unrolled  before  him.    A  foreshadowing  of  this  manifesta- 


A   POSSESSION.  77 

tion  was  given  him  on  the  23d  of  February,  1851.  (See 
page  50.)  In  being  prepared  for  the  peculiar  state  in 
which  these  communications  are  given,  he  becomes  in  a 
measure  paralyzed ;  his  breathing  at  first  is  labored  and 
difficult;  his  eyes  glassy  and  unnaturally  bi-illiant.  As 
soon  as  the  spirit  has  sufficient  control,  he  commences  re- 
peating the  words  as  they  are  presented  to  his  vision,  in 
a  slow,  distinct,  and  impressive  manner.  If  he  struggles 
against  the  influence  when  he  feels  it  coming  upon  him, 
and  endeavors  to  remain  silent,  the  spirits  will  notify 
those  present  by  the  rappings  (which  he  can  not  control) 
of  their  desire  to  communicate  in  this  way,  and  he  is 
much  agitated  and  disturbed  until  he  calmly  submits  and 
resigns  himself  passively  to  this  powerful  yet  harmless  in- 
fluence. The  singular  changes  and  appearance  produced 
upon  the  medium  during  this  phenomenon  at  first  were 
rather  startling  to  all  of  us,  but  we  were  soon  quieted, 
and  our  attention  wholly  absorbed  by  the  words  which 
proceeded  from  his  lips.  The  first  communication  re- 
ceived through  him  by  this  method,  is  already  inserted 
in  the  introduction  to  this  work,  but  we  think  it  also  en- 
titled to  another  insertion  here,  under  the  date  of  its 
occurrence,  as  follows : 

"  These  manifestations  are  yet  in  their  dawn,  and  all 
the  evil  loves  of  men,  and  all  the  powers  of  hell  are 
arrayed  against  the  truth,  yet  the  omnipotent  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  is  in  them,  and  their  progress,  however  slow,  is 
sure.  Bigotry  may  cavil,  skepticism  may  sneer,  prejudice 
may  turn  away  her  face  in  scorn,  the  serpent  may  be 
permitted  to  rear  aloft  its  hideous  crest  and  bruise  the 
spirit  of  men  for  a  time  and  times  and  a  half  times, 
but  the  seed  of  the  woman  shall  bruise  the  serpent's 
head ;  as  sure  as  the  Lord  God  liveth  and  reigneth,  so 
sure  will  these  manifestations  go  on  for  ever.  The  sun 
could  as  soon  be  staid  by  the  puny  hand  of  man,  as 
could  these  manifestations  by  any  mortal  power.  They 
may  be  opposed  and  ridiculed,  for  so  it  has  ever  been 
with  truth,  but  they  can  not  be  crushed.  Their  march  is 
onward  for  ever,  conquering  and  to  conquer,  until  the 
kingdoms  of  this  world  become  the  kingdom  of  God  and 
his  Christ,  and  he  reign  for  ever  and  ever. 

"  John  Locke." 


78  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

In  obtaining  the  above  communication,  the  medium 
was  only  permitted  to  see  each  word  or  sentence  as  fast 
as  it  was  written  down ;  so  it  was  impossible  any  error 
should  occur.  As  soon  as  it  was  finished  he  returned  to 
the  normal  state,  with  a  slight  shock,  similar  to  that  pro- 
duced by  holding  the  wires  of  a  mildly-charged  electrical 
machine."     (Idem^  pp.  153-155.) 

It  has  been  said  that  all  the  intelligence  manifested  in 
the  operations  of  spirits,  is  owing  to  clairvoyayice^  or  to 
fraud  upon  the  part  of  the  media.  With  regard  to  the 
first  allegation,  it  is  denied  by  the  media  themselves ;  but 
if  this  power  really  exists,  it  may  account  for  a  great  por- 
tion of  it,  while  in  many  instances  the  matter  communicat- 
ed, needs  no  other  reference  than  the  mind  of  the  medium 
to  satisfy  us  of  its  origin ;  yet  we  have  seen  accounts  appa- 
rently well  authenticated,  where  clairvoyance  did  not 
afford  a  satisfactory  solution. 

With  regard  to  the  charge  of  frauds  that  appears  to 
be  fuUy  exploded  by  ingenious  contrivances  made  by 
Prof  Hare  of  Philadelphia,  to  prevent  the  possibility  of 
deception  by  the  media.  One  of  these  is  an  oblong  table, 
■with  casters  under  the  pair  of  legs  upon  the  right,  and 
an  axle  with  a  small  wheel  at  each  end  under  the  pan*  upon 
the  left,  one  of  them  being  grooved.  A  disk,  having 
the  alphabet  arranged  upon  it,  as  the  figures  upon  the  dial 
of  a  clock,  is  vertically  fixed  to  revolve  upon  a  spindle 
through  its  centre  fastened  to  the  frame  of  the  table.  A 
band  connects  the  aforesaid  grooved  wheel  with  a  groov- 
ed hub  on  the  spindle  behind  the  disk ;  an  index,  like 
that  of  a  clock  is  fixed  upon  the  end  of  the  spindle ;  so 
that  when  the  table  moves  to  the  right  or  left,  this  disk 
revolves  to  bring  the  letters  in  succession  under  the  index. 
Upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  table,  and  behind  the  disk, 
the  medium  takes  her  seat ;  and  her  hands  are  placed, 


THE   SPIKITOSCOPE.  79 

not  upon  the  table,  but  upon  a  plate  of  zinc  wMch  rests 
upon  two  balls  perfectly  round  and  within  a  few  inches 
of  each  other  on  the  table.  It  will  be  seen  that  thus  sit- 
uated, no  mortal  could  possibly  move  the  smallest  table, 
much' less  one  of  six  feet  by  sixteen  inches.  Yet  through 
a  medium  thus  situated,  Professor  Hare  says  he  obtained 
intelligent  communications  spelled  out,  when  she  could 
neither  see  the  letters  nor  move  the  table.  If  such  be  the 
true  fact,  then  this  is  apparently  satisfactory,  and  it  reduces 
us  to  a  choice  between  two  opinions.  Either  Prof.  Hare, 
with  thousands  of  others  are  insane,  and  are  all  parties  to  a 
preconcerted  fraud,  notwithstanding  they  are  scattered 
all  over  our  country  and  Europe ;  or  bodies  are  moved 
with  a  physical  force  and  by  an  intelligent  agent  which 
can  only  be  explained  by  admittmg  the  claim  of  spirit- 
presence  and  power. 

Our  limits  forbid  other  accounts,  many  of  which  are  be- 
fore us,  stating  how,  when,  and  where  spirits  have  given 
"  unmistakable"  tests  of  their  presence  and  identity,  rap- 
ping out,  or  spelling  out,  through  the  media,  long  and 
short  paragraphs  of  intelligence  ;  all  of  which  are  present- 
ed as  infallible  proof  of  spirit-communion  in  which  mor- 
tals are  made  sensible  of  their  immortality,  and  the 
bereaved  and  sorrowful  comforted  by  the  presence  and 
soothing  influence  of  departed  friends,  whose  happiness  is 
augmented  by  ministering  to  their  spiritual  necessities. 

We  have  quoted  largely,  that  the  nature  of  the  facts 
relied  on,  may  be  fully  understood  by  that  portion  of  our 
readers  who  have  felt  no  inclination  to  know  what  is  the 
nature,  progress,  or  practical  operation  of  the  newest 
"  humbug  of  the  day." 

The  great  element  of  strength  in  this  movement  profess- 
es to  come  from  the  spirit-world.  It  augments  its  num- 
bers daily.    Every  effort  hitherto  made,  to  prove  these 


80  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST.  ' 

manifestations  to  be  from  some  other  source  than  spirits, 
has  shared  the  fate  of  most  all  other  attempts  at  proving 
a  negative.  These  efforts  have  every  where  been  made, 
and  hitherto  Tiave  everywhere  failed  to  trace  the  pheno- 
mena to  mundane  causes.  It  is  therefore  a  subject  not 
to  be  treated  with  levity,  for  whether  it  be  as  to  its  claims, 
a  system  oftruth  or  falsehood,  the  interests  are  incalculable, 
involving  the  everlasting  welfare  or  the  woe  of  millions. 
Nothing  can  exceed  the  positiveness  of  assurance  that 
every  adherent  manifests,  and  the  earnestness  of  spirit 
that  pervades  the  various  works  written  by  the  propagan- 
dists of  this  novel  cause.  There  is  entire  truth  in  the  fol- 
lowing paragraph  of  Rev.  C.  Beecher,  in  his  "  Review  of 
Spiritual  Manifestations,"  p.  58. 

"  Whoever,  ignorant  of  the  publications  of  the  move- 
ment, imagines  that  these  claims  are  not  forcibly  wielded, 
with  ingenuity,  candor,  popular  adaptation,  and  success, 
is  egregiously  mistaken.  The  movement  is  rapidly  ad- 
vancing, and  becoming  one  of  the  signs  of  the  times." 


THE   FIRST  TEST.  81 


CHAPTER   n. 

"Prove  all  things:   hold  fast  that  which  is  good !"— Paul. 

THE  FIRST  TEST   OP   SPIRITUALISM. 

Census  of  Spiritualism— A  Challenge— Assurances  given— The  Author's 
Earnestness — The  Mental  Test  improved— First  Sitting,  Poor  Encourage- 
ment—Second Sitting,  no  Satisfaction— Third  Sitting,  written  Commu- 
nication—Mendacity—Fourth Sitting,  Spirits  fail — Fifth  Sitting,  a  Pos- 
session-Sixth Sitting,  Communication  connected — A  bad  Failure — 
Seventh  Sitting,  a  worse  Failure—  Eighth  Sitting,  "  Dark  Circle" — 
Ninth  Sitting,  no  Satisfaction— Spiritual  Library  gathered— Tenth  Sit- 
ting,  the  worst  Failure— A  Conclusion— A  good  Test— Personating  De- 
mons—Eleventh Sitting,  Showers  of  Kaps — Good  Test — Communica- 
tions—Twelfth Sitting—"  Spiritoscope" -test— Thirteenth  Sitting,  an  im- 
portant Fact — Fourteenth  Sitting,  Eeputation  of  Spiritoscope  damaged 
— Fifteenth  Sitting,  Tests,  etc. 

We  have  now  given  a  chapter  of  facts,  which  might 
easily  be  enlarged  to  the  size  of  this  volume,  to  show 
what  is  the  ground-work  of  this  wonderful  modem  move- 
ment. Whether  the  reader  reject  or  accept  them,  in 
whole  or  in  part,  does  not  alter  the  fact  of  their  influence 
throughout  this  and  other  communities,  and  hence, 
whether  true  or  false,  it  is  essential  that  they  be  under- 
stood in  the  outset  of  all  intelligent  research. 

To  condemn  without  investigation  matter  submitted 
to  us  by  men  of  acknowledged  sense  and  ability,  is  as 
ridiculous  as  to  hold  a  man  guilty  upon  mere  imputation, 
until  he  prove  himself  innocent. 
4* 


82  A  THKEE-FOLD  TEST. 

A  host  of  "well-authenticated  facts,  like  those  in  the 
first  chapter,  that  have  fallen  upon  the  sober  senses  of 
thousands  of  witnesses,  prejudiced  in  the  outset  of  their 
investigations,  competent  to  sit  on  any  jury  in  the  land  as 
judges  of  facts,  and  whose  testimony  in  the  matter  before 
us,  is  just  as  good  as  if  given  under  oath,  compelled  the 
writer  to  investigate  for  himself,  not  because  he  could 
doubt  the  superabundance  of  evidence  already  given,  but 
because  he  had  a  good  opportunity,  and  his  Profession, 
as  he  conceived,  demanded  it.  Who  are  these  witnesses  ? 
Here  is  the  answer  given  some  two  years  ago. 

"  Though  these  modem  *  spirit-manifestations '  com- 
menced but  five  years  since,  and,  at  first,  only  attracted 
the  attention  of  two  httle  girls  by  some  sHght  tappings 
in  their  presence,  there  are  now  from  twenty  to  thirty 
modes  of  manifestation,  some  of  them  of  the  most  as- 
tounding character. 

"  It  has  been  stated  that  there  are  a  hundred  thousand 
mediums,  and  two  and  a  half  millions  of  believers,*  in 
this  country  alone,  to  say  nothing  of  the  many  thousands 
in  Europe. 

"The  attention  of  the  British  Parliament  has  been 
called  to  it ;  the  French  Academy  of  Science  has  long 
been  considermg  it ;  and  a  memorial,  signed  by  thirteen 
thousand  persons,  has  been  presented  to  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States,  asking  for  a  special  committee  to  con- 
sider the  subject. 

"  There  are  in  the  United  States  some  twenty  newspa- 
pers and  periodicals  principally  devoted  to  it,  and  up- 
wards of  one  hundred  difierent  pubHcations  on  the  sub- 
sect. 

^ "  It  numbers  among  its  advocates  many  men  of  the 
highest   standing  and  talent,  in   every  profession  and 

*  The  number  now  is  claimed  to  be  some  4,000,000 1  as  I  have  been 
informed  by  an  inteUigent  Spiritualist,  who  is  a  regular  physician  and  an 
educated  gentleman.  But  great  allowance  must  be  made  to  the  love  of 
the  maveUous. 


A   CHALLENGE.  83 

sphere.  Doctors,  lawyers,  clergymen,  a  Protestant 
bishop,  professors,  and  a  reverend  president  of  a  college, 
foreign  ambassadors  and  ex-members  of  the  national 
senate. 

"  The  rapid  progress  of  belief  in  the  reality  of  the  phe- 
nomena does  not  depend  so  much  upon  the  testimony  of 
others,  however  reliable,  as  upon  the  personal  observation 
and  experience  which  probably  every  believer  has  had. 
Thousands  of  living  witnesses  testify,  on  the  very  day 
of  their  occurrence,  that  they  have  seen,  felt,  and  heard 
the  phenomena,  and  are  compelled  to  believe  in  their 
reality,  spite  of  their  obstinate  prejudices  against  them. 

"  There  is  no  question  about  the  authenticity  of  the 
testimony,  the  character  and  competency  of  those  who 
testify,  or  the  time  and  place.  The  names  of  all  the 
parties,  and  all  the  circumstances  of  the  events,  are 
given,  and  the  witnesses  are  now  before  you,  ready  to  be 
questioned." — New  Test,  Miracles,  pp.  10,11. 

The  names  of  men  in  high  places,  connecting  them- 
selves with  this  movement,  may  be  mentioned ;  but  it  is 
proper  at  the  same  time  to  present  the  evidence  of  their 
sincerity  and  supposed  strong  position.  The  following 
is  extracted  from  an  "Address  of  the  Society  for  the 
Diffusion  of  Spiritual  Knowledge,  to  the  citizens  of  the 
United  States :"  written  some  two  or  three  years  ago ; 
and  headed  by  the  name  of  Gov.  Tallmadge. 

"  We  CHALLENGE  you  as  men  —  as  earnest  men,  as 
men  desiring  the  good  of  your  fellows  —  to  come  forth 
and  meet  us  in  the  fight,  expose  our  errors,  draw  the 
shroud  away,  and  enable  the  world  to  see  us  as  we  are. 
We  challenge  you  to  come  and  do  that  thing. 

"  We  believe  that  spirituality  is  a  heaven-born  truth. 
We  profess  to  know  that  angels  from  heaven  —  that  the 
spirits  of  good  men  progressing  towards  perfection  have 
come  here  upon  the  earth  we  stand  on,  and  talked  with 
us  face  to  face,  and  uttered  words  to  us  bearing  the  im- 
press of  their  divine  origin.  We  sincerely  believe  this. 
We  are  respectable  men ;  we  do  not  believe  ourselves  to 


84  A  THKEE-FOLD   TEST. 

be  insane.  We  ask  you  to  come  and  meet  us,  and  discuss 
the  question  with  us ;  to  examine  these  facts  which  we 
allege,  and  to  prove,  if  you  are  able,  either  that  these 
facts  never  did  occur,  or  that  their  origin  is  other  than 
that  which  it  purports  to  be." 

The  names,  claims,  and  positions  of  the  gentlemen 
signing  this  address,  will  save  any  man  from  ridicule  who 
accepts  their  challenge^  which  we  do ;  and  warrant  any 
man  to  make  earnest,  persevering  inquiry  upon  this  sub- 
ject, without  incurring  the  censure  of  the  wise  and  good. 
A  further  protection  is  found  in  the  fearless  examples 
and  avowed  opinions  of  clergymen,  who  have  watched 
this  movement  with  increasing  interest ;  such  as  the  fol- 
lowing: 

"  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  M.  Clark,  one  of  the  ablest  clergy- 
men of  Hartford,  Ct.,  concludes  a  letter  as  follows :  '  I  am 
aware  that  to  ascribe  so  much  importance  to  such  a  sub- 
ject as  this,  will  lead  those  who  know  nothing  about  it  to 
suspect  the  soundness  of  one's  judgment,  and  it  will  be 
said  that  our  wisest  course  is  to  let  it  alone  ;  it  is  one  of 
the  humbugs  of  the  day,  and  will  soon  die  itself'  It 
may  be  so,  but  the  indications  do  not  point  that  way  at 
present.  Men  of  the  highest  scientific  reputation  acknow- 
ledge themselves  to  be  perplexed ;  judges  of  our  high- 
est courts  and  of  the  widest  experience,  are  personally 
identified  with  these  phenomena ;  clergymen  are  question- 
ed by  their  parishioners ;  the  most  important  principles  of 
our  religion  are  called  in  question.  MeanwhUe,  is  it  right 
for  the  clergy,  who  profess  to  be  the  teachers  of  the  peo- 
ple, to  remain  sUent,  when  they  believe  that  souls  com- 
mitted to  their  charge  are  being  lured  to  destruction  ?'  " 
— Answers  to  Seventeen  Objections^  p.  6. 

In  the  same  little  work,  we  are  informed  that — "  at  a  sit- 
ting of  several  clergymen  for  the  purpose  of  investigating 
this  subject,  the  following  communication  was  received," 
(from  spirits :) 


THE  author's  motive.  85 

" '  Brethren  have  you  not  seen  the  need  of  a  tangible  mani- 
festation to  convince  the  skeptical  man  of  his  immortahty  ? 
How  many  have  refused  to  enter  the  portals  of  a  church, 
who  would  not  refuse  (prompted  by  curiosity)  to  investi- 
gate these  rappings !  Then  rejoice  that  God  in  his  great 
mercy  and  loving-kindness  has  permitted  ministering 
angels  to  knock  at  the  door  of  the  skeptic's  heart,  to 
awaken  him  to  sensibility.' " 

The  fact  that  persons  who  have  read  about  these  won- 
derful manifestations  were  made  more  liable  to  be 
taken  with  them,  from  his  inability  to  give  a  satisfactory 
answer,  determined  the  writer  to  seek  from  the  best 
sources,  for  all  necessary  information,  both  for  his  own 
sake,  and  for  the  sake  of  others.  He  determined  to  go 
to  fountain-head,  and  taking  the  advice  of  spiritualistic 
authors,  to  pursue  an  independent  investigation,  prepared 
to  follow  wherever  truth  might  lead. 

Judge  Edmonds  says,  respecting  the  communications 
given  by  spirits :  "  Their  character  has  been  such  as  to 
warrant  me  in  saying  I  have  been  struck  with  their  beau- 
ty— their  sublimity  at  times — and  the  imiformly  elevated 
tone  of  morals  which  they  teach.  They  are  eminently 
practical  in  their  character,  and  not  a  sentiment  is  to  be 
found  that  would  be  unacceptable  to  the  most  pure  and 
humble  Christian.  The  lessons  which  they  teach  are 
those  of  love  and  kindness,  and  are  addressed  to  the 
calm  and  deliberate  reason  of  man,  asking  from  him  no 
blind  faith,  but  a  careful  inquiry  and  a  dehberate  judg- 
ment."    {Spiritualism,  vol.  i.,  p.  64.) 

This  is  beyond  question  staking  intellect,  judgment,  re- 
putation, and  all  that  a  sane  man  values,  upon  the  truth 
of  the  matters  spoken  of;  and  that  too  by  a  man  who,  from 
his  position,  one  would  think,  was  well  aware  of  the  fact, 
he  had  a  good  deal  to  lose.    More  than  this  he  says : 

"  We  may  say  not  merely  that  '  we  believe,'  but  that 


86  .A   TIIKEE-FOLD  TEST. 

'  we  know,'  and  what  is  most  interesting  is,  that  the  evidence 
is  within  every  man's  reach.  He  has  but  to  knock,  and  it  will 
be  opened  to  him — he  has  but  to  ask,  and  he  may  receive. 
No  man  lives  but  he  may,  if  he  pleases,  evidence  most  sa- 
tisfactory, that  the  friends  whom  he  has  laid  in  the  grave, 
do  yet  Hve  and  can  commune  with  him." — "  I  know  I  can 
not  be  mistaken.  Whether  I  am  or  not,  the  means  are 
fortunately  at  hand  to  determine.  I  repeat,  they  are 
within  every  man's  reach."     {Spiritualism,  vol  ii.,  p.  49.) 

Nothing  could  be  more  satisfactory  to  one  conscious  of 
a  powerful  desire  to  know  the  truth  on  this  subject.  The 
public  character  and  strong  assurance  of  the  Judge  made  us 
quite  certain  of  important  discoveries  and  results ;  and  to  test 
the  truth  of  these  statements,  to  which  we  felt  cJiaUenged, 
and  despising  that  spirit  that  does  not  dare  to  wander  be- 
yond the  orbit  of  narrowness  in  which  it  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  move,  the  writer  sought  and  found  certain  media 
in  the  pay  of  the  aforesaid  Society  for  the  Conversion  of 
Skeptics ;  and  also  other  approved  media  with  whom  he 
might  have  protracted  sittings. 

The  FIRST  TEST,  therefore,  of  Modern  Spiritualism,  will  be 
found  in  his  own  experience.  He  wishes  it  distinctly  un- 
derstood, that  all  the  foregoing  considerations  and  a 
deeply-felt  sense  of  responsibility  arising  from  his  position 
in  life,  not  only  awakened  high  interest,  but  also  great 
caution,  in  the  prosecution  of  his  inquiries.  Bound  to  in- 
vestigate whatever  concerned  the  danger  or  the  prosper- 
ity of  the  Church,  he  did  not  feel  himself  at  liberty  to  de- 
cline this  subject,  because  he  is  satisfied  that  within  the 
last  two  years  more  has  been  gained  to  Spiritualism  from 
the  Church,  than  has  been  gained  to  the  Church  from  the 
world.  Whatever  clergymen  and  other  Christians  may 
thmk  of  it,  he  is  quite  sure  they  can  not  afford  much 
longer  to  remain  indifferent  to  its  success,  nor  to  treat  it 
with  contempt.    The  writer  could  not  satisfy  himself  to 


THE  MiJNTAL  TEST.  87 

remain  unable  to  answer  the  inquiries  of  others,  who  ad- 
dressed him  on  the  subject.  He  looked  upon  the  cry  of 
"humbug"  and  "delusion"  as  very  unfair  and  unwise. 
The  question — "  What  do  yOu  think  of  it  ?"  and  his  ac- 
knowledged inability  to  answer  in  a  satisfactory  way 
that  question^  have  laid  the  minds  of  church-members 
more  directly  open  to  acquiescence  in  the  asserted  truth 
of  SpirituaUsm  under  the  pressure  of  physical  manifesta- 
tions occurring  before  their  eyes,  of  offered  tests  apparently 
well  sustained,  and  of  arguments  applied  at  the  same  time. 
Minds  thus  overtaken  and  overcome  may  have  been  weak, 
may  not  have  been  well  settled  in  the  general  principles 
of  the  Scriptures ;  but  that  is  only  an  additional  argument 
for  personal  investigation  upon  the  part  of  the  clergyman, 
that  he  may  be  able  to  guide  such  persons  in  their  in- 
quiries— for  inquiries  they  will  make. 

Only  on  a  few  occasions  has  the  writer  resorted  to  a 
circle ;  and  was  disatisfied.  He  preferred  to  be  closeted 
alone  with  the  medium,  to  prevent  all  accidents  arising 
from  disturbance  of  equanimity  of  mind,  and  from  circum- 
stantial inability  to  concentrate  it  upon  questions  proposed 
to  Spirits ;  besides,  he  wanted  all  the  time  to  himself. 
With  a  few  exceptions,  he  proposed  his  questionsMEWiAUSY^ 
as  dii-ected ;  and  in  almost  every  case  received  an  answer 
by  raps  on  the  table,  or  by  the  table  rearing  up  on  two 
legs,  and  making  the  raps  with  the  other  two  upon  the 
floor.  This  latter  method  is  more  satisfactory,  because 
the  table  is  raised  up  against  the  hands  and  forearms  of 
the  medium  resting  upon  it. 

The  asking  of  questions  mentally  is  regarded  and  recom- 
mended as  the  best  test^  because  the  medium  can  not  have 
a  chance  by  any  hocus-pocus  to  dictate  the  answers,  un- 
less he  or  she  be  a  clairvoyant ;  ia  that  case  (if  clairvoy- 
ancy  be  true)  the  medium  might  see  your  mind  concen- 


88  A  TUBEE-FOLD  TEST. 

trating  upon  your  question,  and  thus  render  the  precau- 
tion useless.  At  all  events  it  is  the  best  test.  Having 
however  observed,  that  most  all  questions  naturally  fall 
into  a  form  requiring  an  affirmative  answer,  the  writer 
thought  it  would  be  an  improvement  upon  this  test,  to  ask 
mentally  each  question  twice  in  opposite  forms,  so  that 
truthful  answers  would  always  be  the  first  affirmative, 
and  the  other  negative.  This  method  has  been  generally 
pursued,  having  an  obvious  advantage ;  and  in  the  end 
proved  quite  satisfactory. 

The  reader  will  have  to  rely,  in  this  matter,  on  the  writer's 
veracity  ;  should  that  be  questioned,  it  will  then  be  time 
enough  to  strengthen  his  word  in  the  best  way  he  can. 
It  is  proper  to  say  that  all  his  questions  were  prepared  be- 
fore going  to  the  Medium,  in  every  case  except  one,  and 
also  that  he  had  to  compensate  the  persons  whose  time 
he  absorbed,  which  is  no  matter  of  complaint,  except  on 
the  ground  of  exorbitant  charges  —  a  circumstance  that 
tends  to  damage  the  cause,  since  people,  especially  after 
the  reception  of  the  communication,  feel  very  much  as 
tliough  they  had  not  received  a  quid  pro  quo,  by  a  hun- 
dred per  cent.  This,  however,  did  not  interfere  at  all  with 
the  conscience  of  the  writer,  because  he  started  with  a  full 
intent  to  pay  for  his  schooling. 

The  object  of  the  author,  in  the  following  examination, 
was  to  ascertain  whether  the  strong  assurances  of  Judge 
Edmonds  and  his  co-laborers  in  the  cause  of  spirituahsm, 
might  be  verified  in  his  own  experience,  according  to  the 
confident  language  in  which  they  are  clothed.  For  this 
purpose  he  meant  if  possible,  to  get  at  the  truth  on  the 
following  points : 

1 .  Are  the  rappings  and  tippings  produced  by  some  ex- 
traneous cause,  with  which  the  Media  are  simply  associat- 
ed as  instruments  ? 

2.  Is  that  cause  to  be  accredited  with  any  degree  oiin- 


FIRST  SITTING.  89 

telligence  manifested  through  them,  and  which  it  is 
seemingly  irrational  to  ascribe  to  the  minds  of  the  Me- 
dia? 

3.  Whether  the  doctrines  of  spiritualism  will  be  verified 
by  the  application  of  the  mental  test  to  this  asserted  in- 
telligent agency,  inthe  way  the  author  proposes  to  use  it  ? 

It  will  be  remembered  the  author  is  not  writing  merely 
for  learned  men,  but  for  those  who  are  unlearned  and  un- 
stable, and  are  liable  to  be  taken  by  strange  things,  and 
made  to  believe  whatever  those  things  may  be  said  to 
confirm,  simply  because  they  can  not  explain,  and  have 
no  general  principles  to  fall  back  upon  for  reUef. 

With  regard  to  ihe  first  point,  it  may  as  well  be  said 
here,  that  the  answer  must  be  given  in  the  affirmative. 
Repeated  trials  of  the  most  satisfectory  kind,  enable  us 
to  pronounce  with  entire  confidence.  We  have  heard  of 
and  seen  attempts  made  to  imitate  these  things  by 
those  who  professed  to  "  do  the  tricks^'*  but  they  have  all 
failed. 

Respecting  the  other  points,  we  defer  remarks  until  the 
reader  has  gone  over  the  ground  with  us. 

FIRST  smiNG. 

Dec.  10th,  1855.  I  called  at  the  office  of  the  Spiritual 
Telegraph  to  inquire  for  a  well-developed  and  duly-ac- 
creited  Medium.  I  was  fortunate  in  finding  one  there 
— a  Miss  G.  who,  I  was  told  by  a  gentleman  present,  was 
a  capital  one.  At  once  I  made  an  appointment  with  her  for 
a  sitting  eleven  days  ahead.  The  result  was  a  most  disgust- 
ing exhibition  of  evident  imposture,  kept  up  for  an  hour ; 
and  my  resolution  to  pursue  the  subject  weU  nigh  gave 
way.  But  as  I  had  commenced  with  the  intention  of  be- 
coming qualified  to  answer  the  question  —  "What  is 
spuituaUsm  ?"— and  as  I  had  seen  Judge  Edmonds's  cau- 


90  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

tions  against  imposition,  as  well  as  his  assurances  of  suc- 
cess to  all  who  would  consent  to  investigate,  I  determin- 
ed not  to  be  hasty. 

SECOND   SITTING. 

Dec.  19th.  Attended  a  circle  at  which  presided  a  rap- 
ping medinm  in  the  pay  of  the  Society  for  the  conversion 
of  Skeptics. 

When  my  turn  came,  I  asked  mentally  the  following 
questions : 

"  Is  there  a  spirit  present  to  communicate  with  me  ?" 
''  Yes." 

"  Are  you  the  spirit  of  my  Mother  P''  "  Yes."  (My 
mother  is  living,) 

"  WUl  you  spell  your  natne  ?"  Here  the  Medium  direct- 
ed me  to  write  out  several  names,  including  that  of  my 
mother,  and  then  pointing  to  each,  ask  whether  it  were 
the  name  of  the  spirit  present.  My  mother's  name  is 
Elizabeth.  Besides  that,  I  put  down  Betsie^  and  while 
several  others  were  replied  to  in  the  negative,  these  names 
in  my  questions  were  both  claimed  by  the  spirit. 

My  time  was  up,  and  I  had  to  give  way  for  another 
skeptic.  Of  course  this  sitting  was  as  unsatisfactory  as 
the  former. 

THIED  sitting. 

At  2  o'clock  on  the  same  day,  I  went  to  another  me- 
dium, said  to  be  employed  by  the  Society ;  and  having 
chosen  an  hour  for  myself,  I  had  as  much  time  as  I  want- 
ed. I  was  much  pleased  with  Mr.  C,  who  seemed  a  con- 
scientious believer,  and  was  disposed  to  help  me  all  he  could. 
Having  told  him  I  was  an  inquirer,  and  had  read 
enough  on  the  subject  to  excite  my  desire  to  thoroughly 
sift  the  claims  of  spirituaHsm,  he  replied  that  "there  was 


THIRD    SITTING.  91 

not  much  use  in  reading :  the  surest  way  was  personal 
examination.''^ 

We  proceeded  to  business.  Mr.  C.  is  a  tij^ping  medium, 
lie  has  before  him  a  small  table,  say  two  and  a  half  feet 
by  ten  inches  surface,  the  legs  of  which  run  up  to  a  very 
narrow  frame,  so  that  there  was  nothing  that  could  con- 
ceal. The  palms  of  his  hands  and  his  fore-arms  rested 
upon  it,  and  the  table  reared  up  on  two  legs,  raising  his 
arms  with  it,  and  with  the  other  two,  made  the  raps  upon 
the  floor.  Sometimes  this  was  done  so  rapidly  and  heav- 
ily as  to  jar  the  arms  of  the  medium.  This  "  manifesta- 
tion" was  certainly  more  satisfactory  than  the  knocking, 
because  I  saw  it  was  physically  impossible  that  the  medium 
could  produce  this  action  in  the  table,  which  was  against 
the  natural  weight  of  the  arms  lyuig  passively  upon  it. 
I  sat  on  the  other  side  and  placed  my  hand  upon  the 
table,  to  ascertain  if  possible  how  the  motion  was  made. 
There  was  nothing  under  the  table  ;  there  were  no  con- 
trivances in  the  floor,  for  I  had  previously  lifted  it,  looked 
under  it,  and  saw  that  it  had  a  very  narrow  frame,  and 
was  very  Hght.  I  am  sure  that  the  motion  could  not  be 
produced  by  the  medium  in  a  normal  state,  unless  he  has 
the  power  to  conteract  gravitation ;  and  I  am  equally  sure 
he  has  not  that  power. 

By  his  direction,  I  took  small  slips  of  paper  and  wrote 
on  them  the  names  of  relationship,  certain  spirits  sustain- 
ed to  me,  such  Father^  Aunt,  Cousin.  Folding  each  so  as 
to  conceal  the  writing,  I  laid  them  upon  the  table,  23oint- 
ing  to  each  in  turn,  and  asking:  "Whether  the  spirit  bearing 
to  me  that  relation,  was  present  ?"  Two  tips  said,  "  No," 
Three  tips,  "  Yes."  When  the  finger  touched  the  right 
one,  the  table  tipped  rapidly  twice,  making  a  loud  noise 
each  time.  The  paper  thus  selected  I  took  up,  and  the 
others  were  thrown  unopened    in    the  fire.      Having 


92  A   TIIEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

examined,   I  found  the   word   "Father,"   but  did  not 
reveal  it. 

By  the  medium's  direction,  I  then  wrote  the  names 
of  the  aforesaid  relatives,  on  other  slips  of  paper,  folding 
them  as  before ;  and  while  in  the  act  of  writing  a  cousin's 
name,  the  medium  was  seized  with  a  trembling,  and  said 
the  spirit  was  going  to  write,  and  with  great  spasmodic 
action  of  the  hand  and  arm,  the  following  communication 
was  made. 

"  I  am  happy  to  meet  you  here,  my  son ;  and  find  your 
mind  in  a  condition  for  me  to  approach  you.  Spirits  do 
communicate,  and  when  conditions  are  favorable,  can  re- 
ply to  questions.  I  am  here  with  your  aunt  and  cousin 
Jane.  Your  Father,  Robert." 

The  only  mistake  here  was  in  putting  "  Jane"  at  the 
end  of  the  line,  instead  of  after  the  word  "  aunt ;"  but 
this  is  hardly  worth  mention.  The  medium  did  not  know 
me  or  mine :  he  had  not  seen  or  heard  any  of  the  names 
I  wrote,  and  therefore  I  was  somewhat  startled  with  the 
promptness  and  correctness  of  the  signature,  for  my 
father's  name  was  i2(?5er^  /  I  had  told. the  medium  that 
I  came  with  a  list  of  questions,  and  proceeded,  with  his 
approval  of  my  method,  to  ask  them  mentally  as  follows : 

Q.  Will  the  spirit  answer  these  questions,  I  have  writ- 
ten ?    A.  Yes ;  three  tips. 

Q.  Is  Spiritualism  a  deception  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Spiritualism  true  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Edmonds  deceived?    A,  No. 

Q.  Is  not  Edmonds  deceived  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Hare  deceived  ?    A.  No. 

Q.  Is  not  Hare  deceived  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Tallmadge  deceived  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Tallmadge  not  deceived.    A,  No.     (Faintly.) 


THIRD    SITTING.  93 

Q.  Is  the  plenary  inspiration  of  the  Bible  trueP 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  plenary  inspiration  of  the  Bible  false  P 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  spiritualism  of  coordinate  authority  with  the 
Bible  ?  A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  spiritualism  of  an  importance  such  as  the  Bible  ? 
A.  Yes.     {Emphatic.) 

Q.  Is  the  Devil  a  fabulous  being?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  Devil  a  real  being  ?    A,  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Christ  God  and  Man  ?    A,  Yes. 

§.  Is  there  any  such  being  as  Christ  ?    A.  (Indefinite.) 

Q.  Can  any  one  be  saved  but  by  Christ?    A,  Yes. 

Q.  Is  man  a  progressive  being  ?    ^.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  man  a  stationary/  being  ?    ^.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Polytheism  true  ?    A,  No. 

§.  "Was  Moses  a  Mormon  ?    u4.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  not  your  communication  an  attempt  at  imposi- 
tion?   A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  medium  before  me  an  impostor  ?    A»  Yes. 

§.  Have  I  a  brother  ?    ^.  Yes.     (Untrue.) 

Q,  Have  I  a  sister  ?    ^.  Yes.     (Untrue.) 

Q.  A  wife?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Have  I  a  child  ?    u4.  Yes.     (Untrue.) 

§.  Are  you  a  lying  spirit  ?    A.  Yes. 

§.  Are  you  a  good  spirit  ?    A.  'No. 

Q.  Can  I  rely  on  your  truthfulness  ?    A.  Yes. 

g.  Will  you  speU  my  name  ?    No  answer. 

Here  I  asked  the  question  aloud,  and  the  medium 
directed  me  to  write  several  names,  and  my  own  among 
them,  which  I  had  not  announced.  I  did  so,  secretly. 
I  had  just  begun  to  write  the  last  initial  of  my  name, 
when  the  raps  came,  and  the  medium  said,  "  You  are 
writing  it  now,"  which  was  a  fact. 


94  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

It  will  be  seen  that  of  thirty-one  questions,  ov^jfive 
were  answered  in  the  negative,  four  of  these  being  contra- 
dictions to  four  others  affirmatively  put,  besides  seven 
other  contradictions,  making,  in  all,  twelve  lies  told  by 
this  spirit,  who  had  written  me  a  communication  as  a  test 
of  the  truth  of  his  identity!  My  father  was  a  truthful 
man  when  on  earth,  and  bore  as  good  a  character  as  any 
other  mortal  then  extant.  Now,  if  this  were  the  spirit  of 
my  father,  it  is  evident  he  has  progressed  backwards^  and 
become  a  gross  liar,  which  can  not  be  true  according  to 
spirituahsm.  If  he  were  not  my  father,  but  a  deceiving 
spirit,  then  the  best  test  named  by  Judge  Edmonds  has 
failed. 

FOURTH   SITTING. 

Dec.  20th.  I  visited  the  circle  of  the  other  medium. 
Miss  F.,  employed  by  the  Society.  There  was  no  male 
present  but  myself,  in  a  company  of  some  thirty-five. 
Having  obtained  a  seat  at  the  table  first,  I  began  my 
mental  questions,  but  all  failed.  Several  questions  hke 
the  following  were  put : 

Q.  Will  the  spirit  present  communicate  with  me? 
A,  Yes. 

Q.  Are  you  the  spirit  of  my  mother  ?  A,  Yes.  (She 
is  ahve.) 

Q.  Is  the  whole  Bible  infallibly  true  f    A.  Yes. 

q.  Is  the  whole  Bible  infaUibly/aZse  ?    A.  Yes. 

My  time  was  up,  and  I  left.  It  is  perfectly  evident  that 
the  whole  of  the  above  is  a  deception.  Let  it  be  remem. 
bered  that  this  medium  is  employed,  at  a  salary,  for  the 
conviction  and  conversion  of  skeptics,  by  means  of  this 
circle  ;  that  Judge  Edmonds  assures  us  that  any  indivi- 
dual can,  if  he  will,  by  these  means,  arrive  at  a  reasonable 
amount  of  evidence  for  the  truth  of  spiritualism ;  that  he 
is  allowed  to  ask  any  questions,  mentally  or  orally,  with 


FIFTH   SITTING.  95 

the  assurance  of  enjoying  a  test  that  will  convince  a  rea- 
sonable man,  provided  it  be  done  in  sincerity.  Now, 
wiU  any  spiritualist  say  that  I  had  any  reason,  thus  far, 
to  accredit  these  statements  ?  After  the  fourth  trial, 
made  in  all  sincerity,  but  of  course  in  a  state  of  absolute 
skepticism,  would  I  not  have  been  justified  in  rejecting 
the  whole  thing  as  an  imposture  ?  Thus  I  reasoned,  but 
I  had  determined  not  to  be  hasty. 

FIFTH   SITTING. 

Dec.  22d.  I  visited  Mr.  T.  S.  P.,  who  has  been  a  seer 
and  a  healing-medium  for  the  last  eighteen  months.  He 
said  that  in  his  native  place,  in  Massachusetts,  he  had 
been  a  member  of  an  Orthodox  Congregational  Church 
for  some  twelve  years  before  he  became  a  medium;  that  he 
was  surprised  at  what  he  saw  when  this  event  took  place ; 
and  having  given  an  account  of  his  progression  in  the  mat- 
ter of  spirit-seeing,  he  said  he  was  utterly  unable  to  explain 
the  facts  in  his  own  experience.  He  affirmed  that  he  actu- 
ally saw  spirits  in  the  human  form,  attendant  upon  the  steps 
of  passengers  in  the  street,  in  broad  day-light,  at  will. 
He  described  them  as  human  shapes,  apparently  of  com- 
pressed Ught,  denser  than  the  surrounding  hght,  and 
wearing  a  sort  of  gossamer-like  flowing  robe ;  or  as  adum- 
brated, and  more  attenuated  than  the  surrounding 
medium.  He  further  said  he  knew  them  to  be  spirits, 
because  some  of  them  had  told  him  so,  and  he  reahzed  a 
sort  of  whispered  colloquial  talk,  as  it  were,  in  the  inte- 
rior of  his  brain,  conveying  to  him  new  ideas  and  impres- 
sions, such  as  he  never  before  had.  He  also  affirmed  that 
he  then  saw  a  spirit  standing  by  my  side,  (it  was  about  4 
o'clock  P.M.,)  and  he  described  it  as  compressed  light, 
in  a  human  form,  as  well  defined  as  my  own,  but  a  little 
shorter  in  stature,  having  its  hand  upon  my  head.    He 


A   THREE-FOLD   TEST, 


asked  me  if  I  did  not  feel  as  though  something  was  in  my 
hair.  I  did  not.  This  spirit  now  moved  his  hand  upon 
my  forehead,  then  stood  off  a  Httle,  looking  at  me,  and 
then  taking  hold  of  my  arm ! 

This  gentleman  is  entranced,  and  possessed  by  the 
spirit  of  an  Irishman,  whom  he  called  his  "guardian 
angel."  This  spirit  is  a  very  pure-minded,  accommo- 
dating, and  useful  companion.  He  was  known,  when  in 
"  the  form,"  by  the  name  of  Patrick,  and  was  dismissed 
some  years  ago  from  this  earthly  sphere,  by  a  railroad 
accident.  In  the  spirit-world  he  is  a  Porter  ;  not  like 
your  Irish  porters  of  earth  with  hand-carts,  but  a  carrier 
of  messages  from  spirits  in  the  higher  spheres  to  indivi- 
duals in  the  flesh,  made  known  through  the  medium. 
His  chief  business  is,  through  him,  to  ferret  out,  and  de- 
scribe, and  prescribe  for  aU  diseases  "  which  flesh  is  heir 
to." 

When  he  enters  his  medium,  the  latter  is  unconscious, 
and  his  vocal  organs  are  used  by  the  spirit  as  though  they 
were  his  own,  twisting  them  to  the  capabilities  of  the 
"  rich  Irish  brogue,"  and  with  rapid  utterance,  using  the 
tones,  cadences,  inflections,  and  expressions  peculiar  to 
a  "  far-down"  Paddy,  to  the  imitation  of  which,  the  me- 
dium says  he  is  incompetent,  in  his  normal  state. 

Having  told  him  I  had  come  for  investigation,  and 
would  like  to  have  a  talk  with  Pat,  he  said  he  knew  very 
little  about  it,  but  was  willing  to  give  me  all  the  infor- 
mation he  could,  and  that  Pat  would  take  possession  of 
him  soon,  and  then  would  talk  with  me. 

The  temperament  of  this  medium  I  take  to  be  nervotcs- 
sanguine,  having  an  animated,  prepossessing  countenance, 
plump  and  fair.  We  were  conversing  upon  the  matter, 
when  lo  !  he  was  cut  off  short,  by  an  apparently  involun- 
tary shudder  and  jerk,  which  quickly  passed  over  his  whole 
frame.    The  eyes  were  closed,  having  the  lids  permanently 


FIFTH    SITTING.  97 

and  tightly  fastened  down,  like  those  of  a  blind  man,  while 
the  brows  would  knit,  and  work  the  up-and-down  motions 
usual  in  an  animated  talk.  The  whole  countenance 
strangely  assumed  the  Irishest  expression  imaginable; 
and  sure  enough,  drawing  up  his  chair,  Pat  began : 

Fat.  "  Well,  me  frui',  I  would  hke  to  have  a  bit  of  a 
conversation  wid  ye."  I  replied :  "  I  am  happy  to  see 
you,  Patrick.  We  poor  mortals  know  but  Uttle,  while 
you  in  the  other  world  are  far  in  advance  of  us ;  and  I 
have  come  here  to  be  enlightened  on  the  subject  of  spir- 
itualism, and  should  be  grateful  for  any  information  I 
might  obtain." 

Pat.  "  Troth,  me  frin',  an'  I'll  see  an'  do  fwhat  I  can ; 
but  dther's  somethin'  dth'  matther  wid  ye  down  dthere^'' 
(pointing  towards  my  loins.) 

"Well,  what  is  it?" 

Pat.  "  I  can't  somehow  jist  make  out  fwhat  it's,  but  I 
see  dthere^  jist  forenint  me  fingher,  somethin'  not  right." 
(I  had  then  a  dull  pain  in  the  region  of  the  kidneys.) 
"  I  see  two  leetle  childher  about  ye,  an'  I  dthink  they 
are  brodther  an'  sisther  till  ye." 

"  Oh !  no,  Pat,  I  never  had  either." 

Pat.  "N'o?  Well,  I  can't  make  out  who  dthey 
belong  tiU." 

"  Can  you  tell  me  any  thing  about  my  father,  now  in 
the  spirit-world  ?" 

Pat.  "  Ko,  dade  I  don't  know  anny  thing  about  him, 
but  I'll  away  an'  fine  him  out,  an'  I'll  see  about  dth' 
childher  too." 

He  then  gave  the  medium  a  shake  and  a  twitch,  and 
was  off.  The  latter,  rubbing  his  eyes,  assumed  his  natu- 
ral expression  and  voice,  solemnly  assuring  me  he  knew 
nothing  of  what  had  passed.  I  could  not  resist  the  im- 
pression that  he  was  playing  a  hoax,  and  yet  all  appear- 


98  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

ances  were  against  that  supposition ;  especially  the  pecu- 
liarity of  the  eye's  being  like  that  of  a  dead  man's,  with 
the  lid  glued  to  the  ball,  and  not  in  the  least  partaking  of 
the  motion  of  the  animated  brow.  After  talking  awhile 
about  this  strange  phenomenon,  the  spirit  came  back, 
and  like  a  man  jumping  into  a  boat,  caused  a  great 
commotion,  as  in  the  first  instance.  Now  the  same 
altered  countenance,  Irish  as  ever,  was  again  before  me ; 
and  with  an  exulting  shake  of  the  head,  decidedly  Irish 
and  awkward,  thus  he  began : 

J*at,  "  Bedad,  I  foun'  him — yeer  fadther !" 

"  Well,  can  you  describe  him  ?" 

JPai.  "  Yis ;  he  is  a  leetle  tallher  and  sthouther  nor  you ; 
I  mane  bigger-Uke  about  dth'  shouldhers,  an'  a  leetle 
sthoop'd,  but  not  very  sthout  about  dth'  body."  (This 
was  true.)  "  He  diedt  a  long  time  ago  here  in  dth'  citty, 
away  down  dthat  way,"  (pointing  south.  This  was  also 
true.)  "  Whin  yeer  fadther  was  in  dth'  form,  I  dthink 
he  did  somethin'  or  anodther  about  d'th  ships."  (This  was, 
for  a  considerable  time,  remotely  true.)  I  foun'  out  about 
dth'  childher,  too,  for  dthey  had  diedt  in  a  neighborin' 
house,  of  croup,  afore  him,  an'  he  was  burridt  near 
dthim ;  an'  dthis  is  dth'  rason  fwhy  I  saw  dthim  about 
yees.     In  dth'  spsret-worldt  dthey  have  grow'd  up  now." 

"  Can  you  tell  me  in  what  sphere  my  father  is,  and 
what  was  his  name  ?" 

JF*at.  "  He  is  in  dth'  fift  shphere.  In  dth'  speret-worldt 
dthey  have  not  dth'  same  names,  as  in  dthis.  Yeer 
fadther's  name  there  is  dth'  Counshellor,  becaas,  his  buish- 
ness  is  to  instruck  dth'  sperets  dthat  are  below  him." 

"  Is  there  really  a  Devil  in  the  next  world  ?" 

JPat.  "  No,  nor  is  dthere  anny  hell,  or  lake  burnin'  wid 
fire  an'  brimshtone,  as  is  said  upon  airth." 

"  Well,  what  becomes  of  the  wicked  ?" 


M 


FIFTH   SITTING.  99 

Fat.  "  Och !  dthey  go  into  the  lowest  ehphere,  fwhere 
dthey  will  progriss,  afther  a  while." 

"  But  do  they  not  suffer  for  their  sins  ?" 

Pat.  "  Yis,  in  some  sich  way  as  dthis — for  inchthance ; 
if  one  man  murdhers  anodther,  whin  he  comes  to  quit 
dth'  form,  he  must  look  for  dth'  speret  of  dth'  murdher'd 
man,  an'  ask  his  pardon;  for  he  will  be  onaisy  in  his  con- 
science. AH  dth'  hell  dthere  is,  is  in  conscience.  An' 
dth'  sowl  is  not  held  responshible  for  deeds  committed 
by  dth'  passionate  animal  speret." 

"  Is  there  such  a  being  as  Jesus  Christ  ?" 

Pat.  "  Yis,  he  was  the  greatest  madegium  dthat  ever 
lived,  but  was  nothin'  more  dthan  a  mere  man." 

"  Does  it  make  any  difference  then  what  a  man's  reli- 
gion is  ?" 

Pat.  "  Hoot,'  dth'  divil  a  bit :  if  he  lives  a  dacent  moral 
life,  its  all  dthat's  required  from  him.  For  inchthance,  if  a 
mudther  hash  dtifferent  kinds  of  nutch — some  of  dthem  pa- 
nutch,  some  waal-nutch,  some  chesh-nutch,  an'  so  on ;  ye 
see  dth'  mudther  distributes  dthem  alike  among  dth' 
childher ;  an'  they  crack  dthim  an'  find  a  good  kernel  in 
aich,  an'  dthrow  all  the  shells  away.  So  wid  dth'  dtifferent 
religions.    In  aich,  dthere  ish  a  good  kernel." 

"  When  you  were  in  the  form,  Patrick,  what  was  your 
religion  ?" 

Pat,  "  Och !  but  I  was  of  dth'  worst  of  thim — ^I  was  a 
Roman  Cattholic,  an'  I  assure  ye,  be  me  fwortd,  I  have 
niver  seen  dth'  Virgin  Mary  since  I've  been  in  dth'  speret- 
worldt.    !N"o,  indade,  I  have  not." 

While  musing  for  a  moment,  Pat  took  advantage  of 
my  silence;  and  giving  the  medium  another  shake,  he 
left  for  his  own  place  :  and  so  did  I. 

The  reader  can  compare  this  with  an  instance  of  the 
same  sort  already  given.    He  is  at  liberty  to  think  that 


100  A   THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

I  was  victimized.  I  can  not  here  give  the  details  that 
would  show  otherwise,  because  it  would  take  up  too 
much  room.  I  do  not  think  I  can  be  easily  duped, 
though  I  make  no  pretensions  to  special  shrewdness. 

Hitherto  I  have  been  incHned  to  think  that  the  Demo- 
niacs of  the  New  Testament,  were  not  cases  of  actual  pos- 
sessions ;  because,  though  the  word  demon  as  used  among 
the  ancients  meant  any  kind  of  spirit,  and  never  the  devil^ 
it  was  popularly  understood  to  be  the  spirit  of  a  dead 
person.  My  difficulty  was,  as  to  the  irrationality  of  the 
belief,  that  under  any  circumstances,  either  a  foreign 
spirit  or  the  spirit  of  my  deceased  neighbor,  might  come 
and  take  possession  of  my  body,  use  my  senses,  and  de- 
prive my  soul,  nolens  volens,  of  its  exclusive  right  con- 
ferred by  my  Maker.  But  this  medium's  experience  puts 
a  different  face  upon  the  matter.  His  explanation  is,  that 
his  own  spirit  is  willing  to  accommodate,  and  retires  with- 
in itself,  and  becomes  unconscious,  yielding  the  use  of  its 
bodily  organs  to  the  stranger  for  his  purposes.  And  it 
would  appear,  that  on  the  principle  of  "  honor  among 
thieves,"  Pat  steals  the  faith  of  his  patient,  while  the  me- 
dium pockets  his  money  for  medical  advice :  and  this  is  his 
pay  for  the  spirit's  accommodation ! 

If  this  may  be  so,  then  my  foregoing  argument  against 
real  possessions,  is  badly  maimed.  At  all  events,  I  give 
it  up  for  the  present.  But,  at  the  same  time  I  do  not 
believe  that  Pat  was  the  soul  of  an  Irishman,  notwith- 
stan<ling  the  accuracy  of  the  Irish  brogue  and  provincial- 
isms, running  like  mad,  from  a  Yankee  tongue.  If  the 
medium  spoke  the  truth,  to  the  belief  of  which  I  am  in- 
clined by  the  facts  of  the  interview  between  us,  then  this 
is  a  case  of  real  possession  by  a  personating  de?non,  or, 
as  I  take  it  in  the  N.  T.  sense,  an  evil  angel. 

It  will  be  seen,  that  Pat  taught  me  to  beUeve  the  most 


SIXTH   SITTING.  101 

manifest  error  on  the  subject  of  human  accountability : 
and  plainly  denied  the  doctrines  of  the  Bible.  Let  that 
be  remembered. 

SIXTH   SITTING. 

Jan.  5,  1856.  Called  upon  Mrs.  C,  a  medium  who 
has  been  before  the  pubhc  for  six  years,  and  has  gained 
the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  very  best  test  mediums. 
I  asked  for  the  best  test,  and  she  also  specified  that  of 
asking  questions  mentally.  I  wished  to  confine  myself 
to  subjects  which,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  spirits  ought 
to  know,  and  had  prepared  a  Hst.  This  medium  informed 
me  that  they  could  certainly  answer  whatever  questions 
related  to  spiritual  matters. 

I  then  took  my  seat  at  the  table,  wrote  down  the  names 
of  my  friends  who  had  "  left  the  form,"  and  as  before  re- 
lated, the  spirit  declared  himself  to  be  that  of  my  ma- 
ternal grandfather.  To  him  I  put  the  following  ques- 
tions. 

Q.  Are  you  acquainted  with  the  matter  of  Judge 
Edmonds's  pubUcations  on  Spirituahsm  ?  A.  Yes.  (Em- 
phatic.)* 

Q.  Bo  you  know  as  much  as  Judge  Edmonds  does  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  he  sincere  ?    A.  (Indefinite.) 

Q.  Is  he  deluded  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  his  books  worthless  ?    A.  Ko. 

Q,  Can  spirituahsm  enable  me  to  know  the  thoughts  of 
others  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  not  the  thoughts  of  every  one  known  to  God 
alone  9    A.  Yes. 


*  "Were  he  one  of  the  spirits  that  held  jubilee  over  the  publication  of 
tho  Judge's  letter,  related  in  the  sequel,  no  doubt  he  knows  all  about  it. 


102  A  THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

Q.  Are  not  the  pretensions  of  Spiritualism  false  ?  A, 
No, 

Q,  Is  it  impossible  for  Spiritualism  to  demonstrate  im- 
mortality in  any  way  ?    A.  No. 

Q.  Is  it  impossible  to  demonstrate  it  by  any  appeal  to 
the  senses  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  it  impossible  for  the  spirits  of  our  departed 
friends  to  communicate  with  us  whom  they  have  left 
behind  ?    A,  Yes. 

Q.  Is  it  impossible  for  them  "  to  labor  for  our  redemp- 
tion from  sin"  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Must  all  redemption  come  through  Christ?  A, 
No. 

Q.  Are  not  the  pretensions  of  Spiritualism  as  to  curing 
the  sick,  lame,  and  blind,  false  P  A.  (Indefinite.  Don't 
know.) 

Q.  Can  Spiritualism  make  man  realize  what  will  be  his 
condition  in  another  world  ?     A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  it  not  impossible  for  man  to  do  this,  by  all  that 
Spiritualism  can  do  ?    A.  (Indefinite.    Don't  know.) 

Q.  Are  angels  an  order  of  beings  distinct  from  the 
souls  of  men  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Does  Spiritualism  lead  to  hypocrisy  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q,  Does  it  prevent  hypocrisy  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Does  it  lead  to  crime  ?    A,  Yes. 

Q.  Does  it  deter  from  crime  ?    A.  No.        l 

Q.  Does  it  recognize  Pantheism  ?    A.  No. 

Q.  Does  it  assert,  without  proving  the  immortality  of 
the  soul  ?    A.  No. 

Q.  Does  it  release  man  from  responsibility  to  God  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  the  most  essential  claims  made  by  Judge  Ed- 
monds in  behalf  of  Spiritualism  false  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Can  I  become  a  medium  ?    A.  No. 


FALSEHOOD.  -  103 

Q.  Ill  what  sphere  are  you  now?  A.  In  the  sixth 
sphere. 

Q.  How  long  since  you  "  left  the  form  ?"  A.  Ninety 
years  ago.  (My  mother  has  just  completed  her  seventy - 
ninth  year !) 

Q,  Did  you  die  in  England  ?  A.  No.  In  Scotland  ? 
A.  No.  In  Ireland?  A.  No.  In  France?  A.  Yes. 
(Untrue.) 

This  communication  I  wish  to  put  in  a  connected  form 
as  follows.  "  I  (the  spirit)  am  acquainted  with  the  mat- 
ter of  Judge  Edmonds's  publications,  and  I  know  as  much 
as  he  does.  As  to  his  sincerity,  I  can  not  say ;  but  he  is 
deluded  :  yet  his  books  are  not  worthless.  Spiritualism 
can  enable  you  to  know  the  thoughts  of  others,  and  yet 
the  thoughts  of  all  men  are  known  to  God  alone.  The 
pretensions  of  Spiritualism  are  not  false.  It  is  not  impos- 
sible for  it  to  demonstrate  immortality  in  any  way ; 
but  it  is  impossible  to  demonstrate  it  to  the  senses.  It  is 
also  impossible  for  departed  spirits  to  communicate  with 
mortals,  neither  can  they  labor  for  their  redemption  from 
sin :  but  all  redemption  does  not  come  from  Christ.  I 
do  not  know  as  to  the  pretensions  of  SpirituaUsm  to  effect 
cures.  It  can  make  a  man  reaHze  what  will  be  his  condi- 
tion in  another  world.  Nay,  I  must  retract,  and  say,  I 
don't  know.  Angels  are  of  a  different  nature  from 
men. 

"  Spiritualism  leads  to  hypocrisy,  and  prevents  it  too ;  it 
leads  to  crime,  and  also  deters  from  crime.  It  does  not 
recognize  Pantheism,  nor  does  it  assert  without  proving 
the  soul's  immortality.  It  teaches  man's  release  from  re- 
sponsibility to  God.  The  most  essential  claims  of  Spirit- 
ualism, as  put  forth  by  Judge  Edmonds,  are  false.  You 
can  not  become  a  medium.    I  am  now  in  the  sixth 


104  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

vsphere,  it  being  ninety  years  since  I  left  the  form  iif 
France." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  sixth  sphere  is  a  far  ad- 
vance in  progressive  happiness  and  holiness.  Yet  here  is 
a  spirit  from  that  high  eminence,  contradicting  himself, 
and  uttering  the  grossest  falsehoods !  My  grandfather 
was  a  very  intelligent,  consistent,  and  pious  man,  noted 
for  his  integrity  and  usefulness  in  the  region  where  he 
dwelt.  Now  if  this  be  his  spirit,  he  has  progressed  bach- 
wards,  and  the  more  he  has  advanced,  the  more  immoral 
has  he  become !  If  he  be  not  the  spirit  of  my  grand- 
father, then  either  he  is  a  bad  spirit,  in  which  case  Spirit- 
ualism has  no  itest  worthy  of  reliance,  and  all  its  boasting 
is  turned  to  its  shame ;  or,  it  is  no  spirit  at  all ;  in  which 
case  the  whole  thing  is  an  atrocious  imposture.  I  was 
greatly  disappointed  as  to  the  affirmations  and  assurances 
above  quoted :  yet,  having  gone  deeply  into  it,  I  deter- 
mined to  "  progress." 

SEVENTH    SITTING. 

Jan.  7.  Called  upon  Mr.  Conklin,  a  medium  before  men- 
tioned. He  told  me  he  beheved  all  these  manifestations 
were  owing  to  hidden  laws  of  nature,  and  that  there  was 
nothing  supernatural  in  them  at  all.  I  took  my  seat  at 
the  table ;  the  spirit  present  announced  itself  by  tij^ping 
it  thrice  up  against  the  hands  of  the  medium,  the  wrists 
also  being  on  the  table  and  not  behind  the  edge.  Having 
written  relationships  and  names,  as  before  spoken  of,  the 
spirit  of  my  maternal  grandmother  declared  herself,  but 
made  a  slight  mistake  in  taking  the  name  of  Charles.  She 
said  she  was  in  the  Jifth  sphere,  and  must  therefore  have 
gained  a  large  share  of  knowledge.  Moreover,  when  she 
was  "  in  the  form,"  I  was  a  great  favorite  of  hers ;  she 
had  much  to  do  with  my  early  impressions  and  instruc- 


SEVENTH   SITTING.  105 

tion,  and  I  believe  she  was  mucli  attached  to  me,  as  I 
was  to  her,  and  therefore  I  was  delighted  that  she  pre- 
sented herself  at  this  time,  for  I  knew  she  would  not  de- 
ceive me.  I  proceeded  with  my  written  questions  men- 
tally. 

Q.  Can  I  communicate  with  spirits  of  the    higher 
spheres?     A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  you  able  to  solve  theological  questions  ?    A. 
Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  plenary  inspiration  of  the  Bible  true  ?    A. 
Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  plenary  inspiration  of  the  Bible  false  f    A. 
Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity /a?se.^    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  true  f    A.  No. 

Q.  Is  the  doctrine  of  the  fall  oimSin  false?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  doctrine  of  the  fall  of  man  true  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  Devil  a  real  being  ?    A,  I^o. 

Q.  Is  the  Devil  a  fabulous  being  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  there  a  hell  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  its  torments  eternal  ?    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  hell  a  fiction?    A  Yes. 

Q,  Is  human  depravity  a  fiction  ?    A,  Yes. 

Q.  Is  human  depravity  real  ?    A.  No. 

Q.  Is  Jesus  Christ  a  fabulous  being  ?    A,  Yes. 

Q.  Is  he  a  real  being  ?    A,  Yes. 

Q.  Is  he  God  and  man  in  one  person  ?    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  his  two-fold  nature  a  fiction  ?    A,  Yes. 

§.  Is  he  the  only  Mediator  between  God  and  man  ? 
A.  No. 

Q.  Are  there  other  mediators  equally  efficacious  ?    ^. 
Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  atonement  a  safe  reliance  for  salvation  ?    A, 
Yes. 

5* 


106  A  THBEE-FOLD  TEST. 

Q.  Is  the  atonement  a  false  doctrine?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  Holy  Spirit  a  real  personal  existence  ?    A. 
Yes.     (Emphatic.) 

Q.  Is  the  Holy  Spirit  a  mere  influence  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  Holy  Spirit  a  fiction  ?    ^.  Yes.    (Emphatic.) 

Q.  Is  Pantheism  as  good  as  Spiritualism  ?    A.  Yes. 

g.  Is  modern  Spiritualism  an  imposture  ?    A.  No. 

Q.  Is  modern  Spiritualism  true  f    A.  Yes. 

§.  Are  its  alleged  facts  owing  to  occult  laws  of  nature? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  they  owing  to  diabolical  influence  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  they  from  God?    A,  (Doubtful.) 

Q.  Is  this  medium,  through  whom  you  communicate, 
deluded?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Will  you  raise  this  table  up  to  the  ceiling,  and 
gently  let  it  down  again  ?    No  answer. 

Q.  Can  you  answer  philosophical  as  well  as  theological 
questions  correctly  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  matter  eternal  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Pantheism  true  ?    -4.  Yes. 

§.  Is  modern  Astronomy /a?5e.^    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  ancient  Astrology  true  9    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  earth  a  hollow  sphere  ?    -4.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  heathen  oracles  and  manifestations  as  true  as 
modem  Spiritualism  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  doctrine  of  immortality  true  f    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  doctrine  of  immortahty/afee.^    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  you  a  stranger  to  Christ  ?    ^.  Yes. 

§.  Have  you  seen  Christ  ?    ^.  Yes. 

Q,  Do  you  belong  to  the  highest  sphere  ?    A.  Yes. 
(Emphatic.) 

g.  Do  you  belong  to  the  loicest  sphere?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  you  in  heaven  ?    JL.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  you  in  hell  ?    ^.  Yes. 


SEVENTH   SITTING.  107 

Q.  Are  angels  a  distinct  order  of  beings  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  angels  and  the  souls  of  men  the  same  ?  A. 
No. 

Q.  Is  there  a  difference  between  spirit  and  matter  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  there  identity  between  spirit  and  matter  ?  A. 
Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  spiritual  body  the  essence  of  matter  without 
its  properties  ?    A.  Yes.     (Hesitatingly.) 

Q.  Is  the  spiritual  body  a  property  of  matter  without 
its  essence  ?    ^.  No. 

§.  Will  you  give  me  a  test  of  your  identity  by  alpha- 
bet?   A.  No. 

Here  the  medium  wrote  "  thro^  the  mentaV^ 

When  I  had  finished,  I  placed  my  hands  under  those 
of  the  medium,  but  the  table  would  not  tip.  After  re- 
peated trials,  when  the  medium  requested  the  spirit 
orally  to  tip  the  table,  the  thing  could  not  be  done.  He 
said,  "  he  supposed  it  was  owing  to  a  break  in  the  elec- 
trical current  or  something  of  that  kind."     May  be  so. 

Now  what  am  I  to  think  of  Spiritualism,  with  its  two 
and  a  half  milHons  of  adherents,  including  "  doctors,  law- 
yers, clergymen,  a  Protestant  bishop,  professors,  a  reve- 
rend president  of  a  college,  foreign  ambassadors,  and  ex- 
members  of  the  national  Senate  ?"  Have  they  been  con- 
verted by  such  physical  manifestations  ?  Oh !  no.  The 
intelligence  !  The  intelligence  !  cries  the  Judge.  And 
is  the  intelligence  I  have  presented,  such  as  can  so  carry 
away  the  "  progressed"  of  the  nineteenth  century,  as  to 
have  made  the  cause  of  Spiritualism,  "  in  half  a  decade 
spread  among  mankind  with  a  celerity  which  the  Christ- 
ian religion  had  not  equalled  in  a  hundred  years"  ?  {Spi- 
ritualism^ vol.  i.,  p.  53.)  One  of  the  things  that  struck 
the  Judge  as  remarkable  was,  "  that  his  mental  questio7is 


108  A    THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

were  answered,  when  he  Jcnew  that  no  perso7i  present 
could  know  lohat  they  wereP  He  further  says,  on  the 
same  page:  "  I  was  at  the  time  a  disbeliever ;  I  had  all  my 
wits  about  me,  and  was  on  the  sharp  look-out  for  decep- 
tion. And  aU  who  will  thoroughly  investigate  this  mat- 
ter, will,  over  and  over  again,  be  placed  in  the  situation  I 
was,  when  they  will  be  compelled  to  say  '  I  know,'  in  de- 
fiance of  all  preconceived  opinions,  and  of  all  the  argu- 
ments in  the  world  from  those  who  do  not,  and  can  not 
know."  (/S^^V^^^«aZ^5w^,  vol.  i.,  p.  13.)  He  further  says: 
"  I  beg  it  to  be  borne  in  mind,  that  I  am  not  so  much 
seeking  to  convince  others,  as  I  am  aiming  to  induce  them 
also  to  investigate  for  themselves.'^'* 

This  I  have  done,  following  the  advice  of  experienced 
spiritualists,  holding  protracted  interviews  with  media, 
employed  by  the  Society  to  convince  skeptics,  and  with 
others  acknowledged  equally  as  well  developed ;  and  not- 
withstanding the  assertion  that  "  the  Spiritual  theory  can 
stand  ALL  TESTS,  and  is  not  only  adequate  to  account  for 
ALL  THE  PHENOMENA,  but  gathers  Strength  from  every 
principle  assumed  in  all  the  other  theories :  from  Mes- 
merism, Od.,  Back-Brain,  and  the  Devil(!),"  (iV.  T.  Mi- 
racles and  Mod.  Miracles.,  p.  7,)  it  certainly  appears,  the 
TEST  I  have  used  in  no  case  hitherto  has  been  to  the  cre- 
dit of  the  spirits. 

In  the  above  communication  from  one  who,  when  "  in 
the  form,"  abhorred  a  he,  I  am  told  that  my  venerable, 
truth-loving,  and  devotedly  pious  ancestor  is  in  the  fifth 
sphere,  (well  progressed,  though  profligate  Tom  Paine,  her 
cotemporary,  is  far  above  her,)  and  that  she  can  solve 
theological  questions.  Those  which  I  put,  she  was  fami- 
liar with,  from  her  youth. 

From  this  competent  and  reliable  teacher,  then,  I  learn, 
that  the  plenary  inspiration  of  the  Bible  is  both  true  and 


GROSS   CONTKADICTIONS.  109 

false !  The  doctrine  of  the  fall  of  man  is  both  true  and  false ! 
That  the  Devil  is  both  a  real  and  a  fabulous  being !  That 
there  is  a  hell,  and  that  its  torments  are  eternal ;  and 
that  there  is  no  hell !  That  there  is  no  such  thing  as  hu- 
man depravity !  That  Christ  is  both  a  fictitious  and  a  real 
being !  That  his  two-fold  nature  is  both  a  truth  and  a 
falsehood !  That  the  atonement  is  a  false  doctrine,  and 
yet  a  safe  reliance  for  salvation  !  That  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
a  real  personal  existence,  a  mere  influence,  and,  emphatic- 
ally, a  fiction ! !  That  Pantheism  is  true !  That  the  facts 
of  Spiritualism  are  owing  to  occult  laws  of  nature,  and  to 
diabolical  influence,  while  it  is  doubtful  whether  they  are 
from  God !  That  modern  Astronomy  is  false,  that  ancient 
Astrology  is  true,  and  that  the  earth  is  a  hollow  sphere  ! 
That  the  doctrine  of  immortality  is  both  true  and  false  ! 
That  there  is  both  difi'erence  and  identity  between  spirit 
and  matter !  That  the  communicating  spirit  belongs  both 
to  the  highest  and  lowest  spheres ! 

Such  is  the  result  of  my  test.  Here  there  is  a  score  of 
absurdities  demonstrating  the  intelligence  !  Has  a  good 
spirit  ever  been  known  to  stultify  himself  in  this  way  ? 
Could  the  most  ignorant  spirit  that  ever  "  left  the  form" 
be  so  debased  in  intellect  as  to  utter  such  things  ?  Cer- 
tainly a  good  spirit  could  not  do  it,  and  surely  a  had 
spirit,  not  a  fool,  would  hardly  volunteer  the  easiest 
means  of  detection,  when  thus  attempting  to  deceive. 
Does  it  not,  then,  look  as  if  these  raps  of  "  yes"  and  "  no" 
were  the  mere  hap-hazard  movements  of  the  table,  produc- 
ed by  an  animal  magnetic  current,  connecting,  essentially 
to  the  efiect,  through  the  brain  of  the  medium,  being  in  an 
abnormal  state  ?  I  do  not  assert  this,  but  if  it  be  so,  the 
whole  theory  vanishes  in  the  smoke  of  the  most  mischiev- 
ous flame  fanaticism  ever  kindled.  But  I  must  still  ply 
my  test,  for  I  am  after  iiitelligence,  clearly  disconnected 
with  the  minds  of  media. 


110  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 


EIGHTH   SITTING. 


On  the  afternoon  of  the  day  last  mentioned,  I  attended 
the  Davenport  "  dark  drcle,"  where  the  spirit  of  John 
King^  who  died  "in  the  beginning,"  performed  great 
wonders.  Spiritualists  have  denounced  this  as  a  "  hum- 
bug," and  therefore  I  shall  not  dwell.  I  do  not  see  con- 
sistency in  this,  because  other  dark  circles  are  applauded. 
Surely  the  mere  fact  of  John  King's  preference  to  do 
things  in  the  darh^  which,  according  to  Spiritualist 
authors,  other  spirits  do  in  the  twilight,  can  be  no  suffi- 
cient reason.  In  that  circle  one  of  my  thumbs  was  taken 
hold  of  by  the  finger  and  thumb  of  another  hand,  when 
in  a  position  where  I  could  not  perceive  how  it  was  pos- 
sible for  a  mortal  hand  to  get  at  mine  in  the  dark  or  in 
the  light  with  such  precision,  without  my  striking  with 
my  stick,  briskly  moving  before  me,  the  person  to  whom 
it  belonged.  I  was,  like  the  Judge,  "  on  a  sharp  look-out 
for  deception,"  in  the  dark,  to  be  sure,  but  having  all  my 
senses  aUve  for  discovery,  sight  excepted.  As  soon  as  I 
felt  the  grab,  at  the  very  moment  the  other  hand  left, 
having  given  me  a  smart  jerk,  I  was  very  quick  to  make 
a  dash  with  my  stick,  but  I  only  struck  through  air. 
I  was  told  this  was  a  spirit  hand. 

In  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  between  two  boys  who 
were  media,  there  was  a  large  table,  with  various 
stringed-instruments  upon  it,  a  speaking-trumpet,  a  tam- 
bourine, and  a  bell.  When  the  Hghts  were  put  out,  then 
commenced  a  thumbing  upon  the  strings,  and  then  a 
shaking  commotion  among  the  instruments,  and  finally 
they  all  left  the  table,  and  went  round  the  room  at  a 
furious  rate,  all  the  strings  a-twanging,  the  tambourine 
a-beating,  the  bell  a-rmging,  and  the  tables  a-running  like 
mad.     Suddenly  the  light  was  turned  on,  and  all  was 


NINTH    SITTING.  Ill 

still.  The  media  were  in  their  chairs,  in  the  same  posi- 
tion, but  the  tables  were  found  in  one  corner  of  the  room, 
some  few  yards  from  their  first  position,  and  the  instru- 
ments had  fallen,  some  on  the  floor,  others  in  the  laps  of 
the  persons  present.  I  also  felt  a  guitar  strike  my  cane, 
elevated  and  thrust  forward  to  intercept  any  mortal  that 
might  pass  by  me,  as  in  its  gyrations  round  the  room,  it 
passed  close  and  swiftly,  causing  a  breeze  upon  my  face, 
and  saluting  my  ears  with  harsh,  hoarse  discord.  The 
raps  came,  and  the  alphabet  was  called  for,  as  in  other 
circles.  Now  there  has  been  nothing  done  in  that 
circle  half  so  wonderful  as  the  airy  flight  of  my  name- 
sake, in  daylight,  at  Dr.  Gray's,  mentioned  in  the 
previous  chapter.  If  these  things  are  branded  by 
Spiritualists  as  an  imposture,  because  done  in  the  dark, 
what  shall  be  said  of  far  more  wonderful  things  which 
they  accept  as  proof  of  the  power  of  the  spirits  produc- 
ing the  whole  movement,  and  done  in  twilight  ?  Thus 
my  mind  labored. 

NINTH   SITTING. 

Jan.  8.  Visited  the  public  circle  of  Mr.  Conklin,  for  the 
conversion  of  skeptics.  On  taking  my  place  at  the  table, 
by  the  help  of  the  papers,  as  aforesaid,  my  maternal 
grandmother  announced  herself.  She  said,  at  this  time, 
she  was  in  the  second  sphere. 

Q.  Are  you  able  to  answer  my  questions  ?  A.  Yes. 
(Mentally  asked.) 

Q.  Is  ultimate  annihilation  to  be  the  destiny  of 
spirits?  1^0  answer,  but  the  medium  was  moved  to 
write.  He  could  not,  and  had  to  give  it  up.  Subse- 
quently he  tried  again,  and  I  was  informed,  the  spirit 
"could  not  control  to  write,"  and  the  pencil  was 
dropped. 


112  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

Q.  Is  the  doctrine  of  immortality  a  fiction?  No 
answer.    I  repeated  the  same  aloud,    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  all  religions  alike  useless  ?  Here  there  was  a 
call  for  the  alphabet,  by  the  spirit  tapping  in  rapid 
motion.  The  following  sentence  was  spelled  out,  through 
the  medium :  "  In  the  light  of  theological  teaching, 
immortality  is  a  fiction !"  "A  pretty  good  answer,"  said 
the  medium  ;  but  I  could  not  see  why  my  last  question 
was  neglected,  and  an  explanation  ofiered  to  the  answer 
given  to  an  oral  one,  evidently  wrong,  unless  his  mind 
had  something  to  do  with  it.  Many  questions  previously 
and  mentally  put,  and  receiving  answers  equally  absurd, 
were  not  explained.  To  me,  this  was  a  very  suspicious 
circumstance.  But  my  time  was  up,  and  a  dozen  indi- 
viduals had  to  be  convinced.  I  asked  the  medium  what 
was  the  nature  of  his  sensation  when  writing  under  the 
influence  of  spirits.  He  said,  "  he  felt  a  nervous  tingling 
in  his  arm,  and  sometimes  through  his  whole  body,  as  if 
his  elbow  was  against  an  electric  battery."  He  thinks 
"his  arm  is  not  released  from  the  magnetic  influence 
during  the  whole  time  taken  up  by  the  circle." 

I  now  procured  an  armful  of  the  best  books  on  the 
subject,  such  as  Spieitualism,  by  Judge  Edmonds  and 
Dr.  Dexter,  in  two  octavo  volumes  of  1047  pages; 
Moder:n-  Spieitualism:,  12mo,  438  pages;  Spieit  Com- 
MUNioi?",  octavo,  273  pages;  Celestial  Telegraph, 
12mo,  2  vols.,  410  pages;  Spiritualism  Scientifically 
Demonstrated,  octavo,  462  pages ;  Life  in  the  Spheres, 
16mo,  143  pages,  and  several  other  volumes.  Of  pam- 
phlets, octavo,  553  pages ;  12mo,  434  pages ;  newspapers, 
&c.  Thus  I  commenced  a  course  of  reading,  and  left  not 
a  page  unperused.  In  the  mean  time  I  embraced  every 
opportunity  to  talk  with  Spiritualists. 


TENTU   SITTING,  113 


TENTH     SITTING. 


Apeil  20.  Visited  tlie  medium,  Mr.  Conklin,  and  occu- 
pied an  hour  in  the  prosecution  of  my  design.  When  I 
took  my  seat  at  the  table,  after  a  short  time  a  spirit 
announced  itself.  I  took  shps  of  paper  and  wrote  Father 
upon  one,  folding  it  up.  Grandmother  upon  another,  and 
Friend  upon  another.  The  spirit  present  rapped,  denot- 
ing that  he  was  a  friend,  and  not  a  relative.  I  remem- 
bered that  I  had  this  morning  wished  my  friend  G 

to  announce  himself,  and  therefore  I  wrote  his  name^ 
privately,  but  before  I  had  finished  it  the  table  made  a 
tumultuous  noise,  jostling  itself  out  of  place,  to  assure  me 
of  the  presence  of  my  friend.  Rev.  G.  I.  G.  The  paper 
on  which  I  wrote  his  name  I  put  in  my  pocket.  My  first 
questions  were  speculative,  previously  prepared,  and  put 

MENTAI.LT,  aS  folloWS  I 

Q.  Do  you  belong  to  the  higher  spheres  ?  A.  Yes, 
the  sixth. 

Q.  Are  you  able  to  enlighten  me  on  theological  and 
spiritual  facts  and  doctrines  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  the  Scriptures  unworthy  of  reliance  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q,  Were  their  reputed  authors  fictitious  characters? 
A.  No. 

Q.  Were  they  real  characters  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  doctrine  of  plenary  inspiration  of  the  Bible 
true?    A.  IsTo. 

Q,  Is  it  2.  false  doctrine?    A.    Yes. 

Q.  Are  the  Scriptures  a  guide  superior  to  reason? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  the  Scriptures  a  guide  inferior  to  reason? 
A.  Yes. 

Q,  Were  the  manifestations  of  heathen  mythology  of 


114  A  THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

the  same  origin  as  those  of  modern  Spiritualism? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  "Were  they  truly  from  the  spirit  world  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  the  manifestations  of  ancient  heathen  oracles 
and  of  modern  Spiritualism  alike  referable  to  Demonolo- 
gj?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Demonology  a  mass  of  fiction  ?    A,  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  river  Styx  a  reahty  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  river  Lethe  a  reality  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Charon  a  real  personage  ?    A.  Yes. 

§.  Was  the  religion  of  the  ancient  Egyptians  superior 
to  that  of  the  Hebrews  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  God  the  soul  of  the  universe  ?  A.  (tumultuous) 
Yes. 

Q.  Does  He  bear  the  same  relation  to  it  as  the  human 
soul  bears  to  the  human  body.    A.  (tumultuous)  Yes. 

Q.  Has  God  a  body  like  to  that  of  man.    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  He  the  esse^ice  of  matter  ?  A.  (tumultuous) 
Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  individuality  of  God  a  fiction  ?  A.  (tumul- 
tuous) Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  unity  of  God  a  fiction  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  plurality  in  God  a  fiction  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  Trmity  a  fundamental  error  f    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  Trinity  a  fundamental  ^rw^A  .^    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  Christ  an  unreal  being  ?    ^.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Christ  a  real  being  ?     ^.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Christ  God  and  man  united  ?    ^.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Christ's  nature  truly  taught  in  the  Scriptures  ? 
A,  ^o. 

Q.  Do  you  believe  in  the  decrees  of  God  ?    A,  Yes. 

§.  Are  the  decrees  of  God  fictitious  ?    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  the  Bible  account  of  creation  y«?56.^    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  the  Bible  accoimt  of  creation  true  ?    A.  Yes. 


TENTH   SITTING.  115 

Q.  Is  the  fall  of  angels  2i  fiction  f    A.  Yes. 

q.  Is  the  fall  of  angels  2.  fact?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Do  angels  and  men  partake  of  the  same  nature  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  there  a  natural  difference  between  angels  and 
men  in  the  next  world  ?     A,  No. 

Q.  Was  man  made  a  sinful  being  ?    A,  Yes. 

Q.  "Was  he  made  a  sinless  being  ?    .^1.  Yes. 

§.  Is  the  fall  of  man  a  fiction  ?    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  man  Si.  perfect  being  ?    ^.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  God  the  author  of  sin  ?    ^.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  He  a  malevolent  being  ?    yl.  Yes. 

§.  Is  man  independent  of  God  ?    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  man  irresponsible  for  his  conduct  ?    A,  Yes. 

§.  Is  human  guilt  2^  fiction  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  it  a  reality  ?    ^.  Yes. 

§.  Is  Spiritualism  unable  to  account  for  it  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Does  the  Bible  sufficiently  account  for  it  ?  A. 
Don't  know. 

Q.  Is  conscience  an  original  faculty  of  the  mind? 
A,  Yes. 

Q.  May  it  be  stretched  and  twisted  into  erroneous- 
ness?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  conscience  a  thing  of  education  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q,  Does  every  man  make  his  own  conscience?  A, 
Yes. 

Q,  Is  religion  a  vain  thing  ?    A,  Yes. 

§.  Is  virtue  of  the  same  moral  quality  as  vice  ? 
A,  Yes. 

Q.  Is  vice  of  the  same  moral  quality  as  virtue? 
A,  Yes. 

Q.  Is  God  indifferent  to  moral  character  ?    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  God  regardless  of  sin  ?    A,  Don't  know. 

S.  Will  God  punish  sin  in  hell  ?     A,  Yes. 


116  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

Q.  Is  there  a  hell  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  hell  a  fiction  ?    ^.  Yes. 

Q.  Will  hell  endure  for  ever  ?    ^.  Yes. 

§.  Have  the  wicked  the  best  chance  for  heaven  ?  A. 
Yes. 

Q.  Is  prayer  useless  ?    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  Pantheism  true  f    A,  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Pantheism  false?    A.  Yes. 

g.  Is  Polytheism  ifrwe  f    A,  Yes. 

§.  Is  Polytheism  false  f    A.  No. 

Q.  Is  Atheism  ^rwe  .^    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  Atheism  false?    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  the  doctrine  of  annihilation  true  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  doctrine  of  immortality  false  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  there  absolute  identity  between  matter  and  spirit  ? 
A,  Yes. 

Q.  Is  there  absolute  distinction  between  matter  and 
spirit  ?    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  the  faith  of  Spiritualism  the  best  ?    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  Universalism  a  delusion  ?    u4.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Universalism  the  sum  of  all  truth  ?    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  the  "  Age  of  Keason"  as  good  a  guide  as  the 
Bible?    ^.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  "  Koran"  as  good  as  either  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  "  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?" — is  that  a  vain 
question  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  it  an  important  question  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  it  properly  answered  in  the  Bible  ?    A.  No. 

§.  Are  spirits  unable  to  impart  any  new  truth?  A, 
Yes. 

Q.  Are  they  unable  to  add  any  thing  to  the  knowledge 
or  comfort  of  mankind  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Will  Spiritualism  lead  all  its  adherents  into  error  ? 
A.  Yes. 


TENTH   SITTING.  117 

Q.  Are  its  manifestations  from  an  evil  source?  A. 
Yes. 

Q.  Are  its  advocates  deluded?  A,  (tumultuous) 
Yes. 

Q.  Will  it  procure  for  its  o^vn  votaries  expulsion  from 
God?    A.  (tumultuous)  Yes. 

Q.  Do  spirits  deceive  through  the  media?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  confidence  in  any  and  every  communication, 
therefore,  great  folly  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  all  communications  fallacious  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  any  real  ?    A,  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  Devil  a  real  being  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  not  modern  Spiritualism  a  device  of  the  Devil  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Do  you  (7e/^2/  that  Jesus  Christ  has  come  in  the 
flesh?    ^.  Yes. 

Q.  Do  you  admit  that  he  has  come  in  the  flesh  ?  A. 
Yes. 

Q.  WiU  those  who  die  impenitent  for  ever  progress  m 
sin  and  consequent  suffering  ?    A.  Yes. 

Now  here  is  a  mass  of  contradiction  and  falsehood 
from  a  spirit  of  the  sixth  sphere,  which  at  once  shows  an 
absence  of  intelligence ;  for  it  is  ahke  beneath  the  cun- 
ning of  a  spirit  designing  to  deceive,  and  irreconcilable 
with  the  good  intention  of  a  pure  spirit.  It  is  also  in- 
compatible with  the  supposition  of  clairvoyance  in  the 
mind  of  the  medium,  for  that  would  anticipate  and  correct 
discrepancies.  If,  then,  neither  a  good  nor  a  bad  spirit, 
nor  clairvoyance,  can  consistently  be  accredited  with  this 
medley,  the  conclusion  seems  almost  inevitable,  that 
these  raps  are  made  hap-hazard  by  some  inexplicable 
agency,  which,  whatever  it  may  be,  is  destitute  of  mtelli- 
gence.  But  this  is  again  contradicted  by  the  ready  re- 
sponse to  every  question  mentally  put,  just  as  soon  as  it 


118 


A  THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 


is  formed.  This  seems  to  favor  the  idea,  that  they  come 
from  mischievous  spirits.  To  secure  one's  self  against  im- 
position, I  learned  from  the  Celestial  Telegraph  that  it  is 
necessary  to  solemnly  adjure  the  spirit  communicating — a 
precaution  which  I  took,  but  in  vara. 

I  now  proceeded  to  test  the  spirit  as  to  his  identity^ 
and  put  the  following  questions  of  fact,  mentally,  as  be- 
fore. 

Q.  Is  your  real  name  G.  I.  G.  ?     A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  your  profession  on  earth  that  of  a  mechanic  ? 
A  No. 

Q.  A  lawyer?  A.  No.  Here  I  secretly  wrote  his 
name  in  full,  at  which  there  was  a  strong  rapping. 

Q.  A  minister  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  How  long  since  you  died?  A.  Five  years,  but 
corrected  himself,  saying  he  could  not  calculate  time. 

Q.  How  many  children  have  you  ?  A.  Six.  This  was 
the  number  when  he  died. 

Q.  Did  you  die  in  New- York  ?     A.  No. 

Q.  Did  you  die  in  S e  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  At  your  own  house  ?     A.  No. 

Q.  At  your  brother's  house  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Where  is  your  family — at  L.  ?    A.  No. 

Q.  In  New-York  ?    A.  No. 

Q.  At.  N ^n  ?  A.  Yes.  AU  these  were  rightly  an- 
swered. 

Q.  Will  you  write  me  a  communication  by  the  hand 
of  the  medium  ?  (Orally.)  Immediately  his  hand  seized 
a  pencil,  and  attempted  to  write.  There  was  much  appa- 
rent spasmodic  action,  but  he  could  not  get  on.  Finally 
he  succeeded  in  putting  down  the  following : 

"  Not  now — ^I  have  not  much  writing  power. 

"G.  I.  G." 


TENTH   SITTING.  119 

He  signed  the  true  initials,  not  one  of  which  the  medi- 
um had  seen  or  heard  from  me,  and  there  was  no  one 
else  in  the  room !  There  were  other  answers  to  questions 
of  fact  I  may  not  record,  and  all  tndy  answered.  This 
was  confounding.  My  friend  was  one  of  the  most  truth- 
ful, conscientious  men  I  ever  knew ;  in  the  first  set  of 
questions,  there  is  the  most  glaring  absurdity  through- 
out. In  the  second,  uniform  truth,  over  his  own  initials  ! 
I  proceeded,  (mentally :) 

Q.  Did  you  preach  the  truth  when  on  earth?  A. 
No. 

Q.  Am  I  a  minister  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Do  I  preach  the  truth  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  substance  of  my  preaching  the  same  as  yours 
Avas  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Can't  you  write  your  fuU  name  by  the  hand  of  the 
medium?     A.  No. 

Q.  Now  I  demand,  in  the  name  of  God,  are  you  truly 
such  as  you  represent  ?     A.  Yes. 

Q.  I  solemnly  command  you  to  answer  me,  in  the  name 
of  God,  have  you  told  me  lies  f  are  your  communications 
deceptive  ?    A.  Yes  !  ! 

I  then  put  my  hand  under  one  of  the  medium's  hands, 
and  felt  a  tremulous  motion  that  seemed  to  run  up  his 
arm.  I  requested  the  spirit  to  raise  the  table  with  my 
hand  under  his,  but  he  could  not  do  it.  The  medium  re- 
quested the  spirit  to  raise  it,  but  in  vain.  I  withdrew 
my  hand,  and  the  spirit  was  again  requested  to  raise  it, 
but  he  was  off. 

Now  the  whole  of  this  spirit-interview  can  have  no 
other  effect  than  to  confound  the  mind.  This  is  what  an 
evil  demon  would  naturally  aim  to  do.  My  friend  would 
never  have  thus  practised  upon  me,  when  in  the  flesh. 
If  he  can  now  do  it,  he  must  have  progressed  backwards  ; 


120  A   TIIKEE-FOLD   TEST. 

but  this  is  contrary  to  Spiritualism.  If  ho  can  not  do  it, 
then  a  personating  evil  demon  has  endeavored  to  con- 
found me ;  and  there  is  not  a  Spiritualist  in  the  world, 
that  has  any  reliable  evidence  that  he  is  not  grossly  de- 
ceived; because  not  a  man  of  them  can  boast  of  a  better 
test  of  identity  than  the  last  set  of  questions,  above  given, 
in  relation  to  personal  concerns,  together  with  the  "  signa- 
ture." 

What,  then,  is  the  conclusion  ?  This :  N'o  Spiritual- 
ist can  prove  the  identity  of  the  spirits  communicating. 
No  Spiritualist  can  prove  that  he  is  not  grossly  de- 
ceived. JVo  Spiritualist  can  successfully  deny  that  per- 
sonating demons  are  playing  upon  his  credulity^  and  are 
leading  him.,  hy  false  teachings  and  plausible  deceptions., 
into  ruinous  error.  And  as  they  are  fond  of  challenging, 
I  challenge  one  and  all  of  them  to  show  hy  adequate  evi- 
dence that  they  are  not  deceived  hy  evil  spirits  personat- 
ing good  ones.,  beyond  their  powers  of  detection. 

This  is  the  very  way  imposition  was  carried  on  by  the 
old  heathen  manifestations.  Thus  Porphyry  writes  to 
the  Egyptian  Priest  Anebo :  "  There  are  some  who  sup- 
pose that  there  is  a  certain  obedient  genus  of  demons 
which  is  naturally  fraudulent,  omniform,  and  various,  and 
which  assumes  the  appearance  of  gods  and  demons,  and 
the  souls  of  the  deceased;  and  that  through  these,  every 
thing  which  appears  to  he  either  good  or  evil  is  effected.'''' 
(Taylor's  lamblichus?) 

"  By  the  contrary  kind  of  demons  all  prestigious  effects 
are  produced.  They  constantly  cause  apparitions  and 
spectral  appearances,  skillful,  by  deceptions  which  excite 
amazement,  to  impose  upon  men.  It  is  their  very 
nature  to  lie.,  because  they  wish  to  be  considered  gods, 
and  the  presiding  power  among  them  to  be  taken  for  the 
supreme  god."     (Porph.  apud  Uuseb.y^ 

*ApocatastasLs  p.  113. 


PERSONATING    DEMONS.  ^V         121 


The  same  learned  author  quotes  from  lamblichus,  De 
Ahdltis JRerum  Oausis,  as  follows,  p.  114:  "Evil  spirits, 
after  a  fantastic  and  fallacious  method,  simulate  the 
presence  of  the  gods  and  good  demons,  and  therefore 
command  the  worshipper  to  be  just,  in  order  that  they 
thetnselves  may  seem  to  he  good,  like  the  godsP 

The  same  representation  is  made  in  the  "  Mysteries" : 
''''An  evil  demon  requires  that  his  worshipper  should  he  just, 
because  he  assumes  the  appearance  of  one  belonging  to  the 
divine  genus  ;  but  he  is  subservient  to  what  is  unjust,  be- 
cause he  is  depraved.  That  which  is  hostile  to  itself, 
which  is  discordant,  and  never  the  same,  is  the  peculiari- 
ty, in  the  most  eminent  degree,  of  demoniacal  dissension, 
about  which  it  is  not  at  all  wonderful  that  things  of  an 
opposing  nature  should  subsist." 

ISTow,  as  the  old  heathenish  wonders  are  accepted  by 
our  Spiritualists,  as  emanations  from  the  same  source 
with  their  own,  we  are  entitled  to  press  them  for  the  evi- 
dence that  evil  spirits  can  not  and  do  not  perform  every 
Avonder  they  record.  If,  according  to  an  old  author, 
evil  spirits,  "gliding  secretly  into  the  bodies  of  men, 
simulate  diseases,  terrify  the  mind,  distort  the  limbs," 
why  can  not  they  do  the  same  thing  now,  and  then  heal 
by  such  prescriptions  as  are  put  up  by  spirit  direction,  and 
sold  at  the  office  of  the  Spiritual  Telegraph,  in  order  to 
gain  the  confidence  of  men  ?  I  assert  that  the  whole  sys- 
tem is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  heathenism  revived, 
and  challenge  any  one  that  will  try  it  to  show  the  con- 
trary. 

But  it  may  be  said,  if  evil  spirits  communicate,  why 
not  the  good  ?  Do  we  not  read,  that  the  angels  are 
"  ministering  spirits,  sent  to  minister  to  them  that  are  the 
heirs  of  salvation"  ?  Our  answer  is  ready :  They  are  not 
sent  to  "  communicate  a  new  revelation."  They  are  said 
0 


122  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

to  be  restricted  in  their  services  to  certain  persons. 
Angels  are  not  the  souls  of  men.  The  whole  representa- 
tion of  Scripture  is  opposed  to  this  idea ;  but  it  is  not  pre- 
tended that  other  than  the  souls  of  men  make  our  mod- 
ern manifestations ;  therefore  this  quotation  is  not  in  point. 
Nor  are  these  the  spirits  of  our  departed  friends,  because 
the  souls  of  our  fiiends  who  love  us  would  not  deceive  us, 
as  do  the  demons  in  question,  who  personate  them ;  be- 
cause the  jejune  talk  of  these  demons  is  far  below  the 
progressed  state  of  intellectual  development  our  friends 
attained  before  they  left  this  world ;  because  all  revealing 
communications  between  heaven  and  earth,  ceased  with 
the  culminating  revelation  of  Christ,  which  closes  the  New 
Testament ;  because  demons,  who  in  all  ages  have  aped 
the  oracles  of  God,  are  likely  to  palm  themselves  off  now 
for  "  ministering  spirits  ;"  and  that  they  do  so  in  this  in- 
stance, is  evident  by  the  use  they  make  of  appeals  to  the 
Bible,  only  to  destroy  the  authority  of  the  Bible,  and 
place  their  own  pretended  revelations  upon  a  par  with  it, 
if  not  superior  to  it,  for  the  purpose  of  dictating  the  faith 
of  mankind ;  and  because  these  demons  deny  the  exist- 
ence of  the  Devil  and  his  angels,  whose  personal  being 
and  agency  in  the  affairs  of  this  world  Christ  most  dis- 
tinctly taught ;  and  this  is  just  what  evil  spirits  might  be 
expected  to  do. 

In  all  my  communications,  it  will  be  seen,  that  if  they 
come  from  any  intellect  at  all,  personating  demons  have 
lied^  and  endeavored  to  confound  me.  Li  all  communica- 
tions I  have  read,  which  are  not  a  few,  I  see  nothing  that 
may  not  consistently  proceed  from  the  same  source.  Ip 
the  use  of  the  mental  test,  by  putting  each  question  ip 
opposite  forms,  requiring  opposite  answers,  on  each  occa- 
sion I  have  received  a  tissue  of  falsehood. 

Now  I  do  not  think  that  the  various  and  bewildering 


THE    POWER   OF   THE  DELUSION.  '      123 

phenomena  that  have  occurred  and  are  occurring  on  both 
sides  of  the  Atlantic,  and  which  have  been  the  means  of 
converting  not  only  many  thousands  but  a  few  millions  to 
this  cause,  can  be  explained  but  by  superhuman  agency ; 
for  unquestionably  there  is  an  inteUigencB  manifested  in 
thousands  of  cases,  which  shows  that  intellect  of  some 
order  is  associated  with  it.  Therefore  I  think  my 
hypothesis  is  not  invahdated  by  these  discrepancies,  which 
only  go  to  show  that,  however  cunning  these  demons  are, 
they  are  not  able  utterly  to  deceive  those  who  attack 
them  by  a  test  they  can  not  withstand,  so  trying  to  their 
nature,  for  "  it  is  their  nature  to  lie.'''' 

It  will  also  be  seen,  that  in  my  progress,  I  followed  the 
advice  of  eminent  leaders,  whose  absolute  assura:n-ces 
of  success  in  every  case  of  sincere  investigation,  left  no 
doubt  of  their  honesty.  I  still  believe  they  are  honest, 
but  I  also  beHeve  they  are  thoroughly  deceived.  The 
facts  they  present  are  true  facts,  but  the  source  to 
which  I  attribute  them,  they  assume  does  not  exist. 
Herein  consists  the  power  of  their  delusion.  They  allow 
there  are  evil  spirits  that  do  deceive,  because  they  can 
not  help  it;  but  then  these  are  held  to  be  only  the 
unprogressedy  who  will,  in  due  time,  become  good  spirits. 
This  is  a  part  of  their  teaching,  and,  we  add,  an  important 
part  of  the  deception,  designed  to  gain  credit  to  those 
whom  Spiritualists  think  they  have  proved  to  be  good 
spirits,  commissioned  to  usher  in  a  "  new  dispensation." 
This,  certainly,  is  not  inconsistent  with  "  the  depths  of 
Satan,"  and  we  are  exhorted  "  not  to  be  ignorant  of  his 
devices." 

In  confirmation  of  my  position,  I  quote  from  the 
"  divine  lambHchus  de  Mysteriis"  :  "  Now,  therefore,  it 
is  acknowledged  that  the  tribe  of  evil  demons  has  a  very 
eaJ^6/^c?6c?jt?o^^er  in  generation,  in  human  affairs,  and  in  such 


124  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

things  as  subsist  about  the  earth.  Hence,  why  is  it  won- 
derful that  a  tribe  of  this  kind  should  effect  such  works 
as  these,  (physical  power  ?)  for  every  man  is  not  able  to 
distinguish  a  good  from  an  evil  demon,  or  hy  what  pecu- 
liarities the  one  is  separate  from  the  other.  Hence,  those 
who  are  not  able  to  perceive  the  difference  between  the  two, 
absurdly  reason  concerning  the  cause  of  them,  and  refer 
this  cause  to  genera  superior  to  nature  and  the  demoniacal 
orders 

Truly,  this  eminent  Coelosyrian  philosopher.  Spiritualist, 
and  heathen  divine,  who  flourished  in  the  beginning  of  the 
fourth  century,  might  be  a  serviceable  instructor  to  our 
modern  Spirituahsts,  who  flourish  amazingly  in  the  nine- 
teenth ;  and  they  may  not  take  it  amiss  if  we  commend 
his  works  to  their  careful  study.  Alas,  poor  men  !  one 
of  old,  whom  they  would  have  to  be  a  seeing  medium,  has 
hit  them  exactly:  "When  they  promise  us  liberty,  they 
themselves  are  the  servants  of  corruption ;  for  of  whom  a 
man  is  overcome,  of  the  same  is  he  brought  into  bond- 
ags."     2  Pet.  2  :  19. 

ELEVENTH   SITTING. 

Apeil  24.  I  went  with  my  wife  to  have  an  interview 
with  Mrs.  Brown,  one  of  the  Fox  family.  We  were  much 
pleased  with  her  open,  frank  manner.  We  beheve  her  to 
be  sincere.  She  is  intelligent,  and  in  our  opinion  without 
guile.  Many  aspersions  have  been  cast  upon  the  ladies 
of  this  family,  who  are  the  media  with  whom  the 
"Rochester  knockings"  commenced,  which  were  very 
ungenerous  and  very  unjust.  We  are  unknown  to  Mrs. 
Brown. 

My  wife,  who  was  a  thorough  skeptic  as  to  the  phe- 
nomena, soon  became  confounded.  The  raps  began  slow- 
ly and  distinctly,  when  she  was  talking  with  Mrs.  B. 


ELEVENTH    SITTING.  125 

respecting  another  subject  unexpectedly  brought  up. 
This  was  about  a  branch  of  her  family  of  the  same  unusual 
name  with  my  father-in-law.  Mrs.  B.  was  evidently  so  much 
interested  that  she  paid  no  attention  to  them ;  for  the 
elbow  of  her  left  arm  was  upon  the  table,  the  hand  sup- 
porting her  head,  while  the  right  hand  was  carelessly 
playing  with  a  pencil  upon  her  lap.  This  was  her  position 
when  the  raps  arrested  my  wife's  attention,  and  the  con- 
versation was  turned.  They  came  in  abundance,  upon 
the  floor.  My  wife  suggested  that  it  was  quite  possible 
they  might  be  made  in  the  room  below.  Mrs.  B.  assent- 
ed that  such  might  be  the  case  ;  and  to  remove  suspicion, 
they  both  went  to  the  piano,  and  behold  they  came, 
clear  and  distinct,  as  if  from  within  the  instrument. 
Mrs.  B.  said  she  preferred  to  attempt  to  convince  the 
most  confirmed  skeptic,  provided  such  an  one  was  rea- 
sonable and  sincere.  She  then  opened  the  parlor  door, 
and  stood  upon  one  side  of  it,  as  we  stood  at  the  edge, 
looking  athwart  both  surfaces  ;  and  placing  the  tip  of  one 
finger  upon  it,  the  raps,  loud  and  strong,  were  made  upon 
the  door  as  I  slowly  swung  it  on  its  hinges.  There 
could  be  no  mistake.  She  took  hold  of  my  wife's  hand, 
directing  her  to  put  the  other  on  the  door,  and  strong 
raps  came  near  my  wife's  hand,  while  I  was  looking  on 
the  opposite  surface.  I  held  my  ear  upon  the  frame  of 
the  door,  and  requested  that  raps  might  be  made  oppo- 
site to  it,  whereupon  the  raps  left  the  pannel,  and 
reported  on  the  frame,  exactly  where  I  wished. 

We  then  resumed  our  seats  at  the  table,  the  medium 
sitting  with  her  arms  folded  and  resting  on  the  edge ; 
the  raps  continued  in  a  hasty  succession.  We  were  per- 
fectly sure  they  were  not  made  by  her,  or  by  any  visible 
agency.  The  medium  said  the  spirits  were  impatient  to 
communicate,  and  without  altering  her  position,  she 
asked  this  question : 


126  A   TIIKEE-FOLD   TEST. 

Q.  Are  you  relatives  or  friends  of  the  gentleman  pre- 
sent?   A.  No. 

Q.  Do  you  belong  to  the  lady  present  ?  A.  Yes. 
(Strong  raps.) 

When  my  wife  took  the  pencil  to  write,  a  tumultuous 
rapping  commenced,  which  the  medium  said  was  indica- 
tive of  their  joy.  She  put  down  seyeral  Jlctitious  names, 
and  among  them  the  names  of  her  father  and  mother, 
who  are  both  dead.  She  moved  the  pencil  from  one  to 
another,  and  to  each  of  the  moves  came  the  raps  for 
"  IN'o,"  except  two,  and  these  were  to  the  names  of  her 
father  and  mother.  .  "When  she  pointed  to  that  of  her 
mother,  there  was  tumultuous  rapping,  and  a  call  by  the 
spirit  for  the  alphabet. 

The  medium  commenced  at  a,  and  went  on ;  and  when- 
ever a  knock  came  on  the  table,  she  put  down  the  letter 
rapped  at,  and  began  again,  and  so  on,  until  the  following 
sentence  was  spelled  out : 

"Do  not  hesitate,  my  dear  child,  to  question  your 
spirit  friends ;  we  all  live  in  heaven,  and  watch  over  you." 

This  was  not  calmly  to  be  borne  by  an  excitable  person 
already  under  strong  excitement.  The  associations 
awakened,  the  unaccountable  raps,  and  the  sentiment 
expressed,  caused  the  tears  to  fall  fast.  The  very 
moment  this  took  place,  a  shower  of  raps,  all  around  her, 
upon  the  floor  followed.  The  medium  said  this  was  an 
expression  of  joy  and  sympathy  the  spirits  felt  at  commu- 
nicating, and  her  own  tears  came  to  testify  to  her  siucer- 
ity  of  behef.  There  was  poetry  enough  here  surely,  and 
I  am  minute,  in  order  to  give  the  reader  a  vivid  idea  of 
\k\Q  fascination  that  surrounds  those  who  fairly  get  into 
this  subject.  The  appeal  is  to  the  tender  est  sensibilities 
of  the  heart. 

Both  the  names  of  my  wife's  father  were  very  uncom- 


ELEVENTH    SITHNG.  127 

mon,  yet  both  were  accurately  picked  out,  and  all  ques- 
tions of  fact  she  asked,  such  as  where  her  mother  died, 
were  correctly  answered,  and  at  a  call  of  the  alphabet  it 
was  spelt  out  as  above  :  "  We  are  all  here."  And  again : 
"  I  am  happy,  dear  child,  to  speak  with  you ;  this  is  our 
way  of  telegraphing."  A  rap  for  each  letter  was  appa- 
rently made  in  the  centre  of  a  large  round  table,  while 
the  hand  of  the  medium  was  engaged  near  the  edge^  tak- 
ing them  down. 

To  the  question,  "Are  you  happy?"  another  shower 
of  raps  came  upon  the  floor  around  the  chair  my  wife 
occupied,  and  on  the  table. 

Q.  In  what  sphere  are  you  ?    A.  Six  raps. 

Having  tried  questions  of  fact  to  our  satisfaction,  I 
meant  to  try  on  questions  of  speculation. 

I  then  called  for  a  spirit  to  communicate  with  me.  One 
came,  and  from  many  names,  picked  out  the  name  of  my 
father.  The  following  questions  I  had  previously  pre- 
pared, and  they  were  put  mentally. 

Q.  Will  Spiritualism  uproot  all  Church  organizations  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q.  Will  Fourierism  and  Free  Love  prevail  over  all 
existing  social  arrangements  ?     A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  success  of  this  movement  upon  your  part,  de- 
pendent upon  the  overthrow  of  the  Bible  ?  A,  Yes. 
(Strong  raps.) 

Q.  Can  you  make  me  absolutely  certain  that  you  are 
good  and  not  evil  spirits  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Wni  you  do  it  now  ?    A,  No. 

Q.  Will  you  now  give  me  some  powerful  physical  man- 
ifestation? A.  Yes  and  No,  denoting  willingness  but 
inability. 

Q.  Are  you  unable  to  make  any  one  certain  that  they 
are  good  spii'its  who  now  communicate  ?    A,  Yes. 


128  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

Q.  Are  you  the  familiar  spirit  of  the  medium,  personat- 
ing my  father?  In  the  name  of  your  Creator,  do  not  de- 
ceive me.    A,  Yes. 

When  we  arose  to  leave,  having  seen  Mr.  Capron's 
book  upon  the  table,  from  which  in  our  first  chapter  there 
is  a  quotation  about  spirits  pulling  the  bed-clothes  from 
Mr.  Brown,  I  inquired  whether  that  story  were  true 
respecting  her  husband.  Before  she  had  time  to  answer, 
Mr.  Brown  came  to  speak  for  himself,  whose  peculiar  rap- 
ping, made  on  the  table  when  no  one  was  near  it,  she  de- 
tected.   He  said :  Yes. 

The  reader  will  perceive,  here  is  another  instance  of 
confounding  the  mind.  My  wife  now  ceases  to  wonder 
at  the  spread  of  this  cause.  Had  she  not  been  previously 
prepared  by  a  knowledge  of  the  facts  given  in  this  volume, 
she  thinks  it  probable,  she  might  have  been  greatly  be- 
wildered. Here  is,  beyond  all  question,  intelligence  spelled 
out,  intelligence  indicated,  past  facts  truly  given ;  but  an 
awful  confounding  of  the  mind  in  the  answers  to  my 
mental  questions.  Difficulties  thicken,  and  the  more 
thorough  the  efibrt  to  get  to  the  bottom  of  this  amazing 
subject,  the  more  is  the  mind  confounded.  This  appears 
to  be  a  settled  fact,  and  one  which  teUs  powerfully  against 
the  whole  matter. 

TWELFTH   SITTINa. 

July  1 1 .  Visited  Mrs.  G.  This  lady,  of  prepossessing 
manners  and  fine  address,  is  the  medium  through  whom 
Dr.  Hare  thinks  he  obtained  important  revelations.  He 
invented  the  machine,  represented  below,  to  test  the  fact 
of  spirit  communication. 

The  dial  face,  as  in  figure  1,  is  presented  to  the  investi- 
gator, on  which  the  index  moves  round  by  the  action  of 
the  rod  R.  as  in  figure  2,  to  speU  out  the  intelligence.  The 


TWELFTH    SITTING. 


129 


reverse  of  the  dial  of  this  machine,  is  blank  to  the  me- 
dium, who  sits  behind  the  table  on  which  it  is  placed,  and 
whose  hand  rests  on  the  broad  surface  of  the  lever,  on 
the  left  of  the  fulcrum  L  F,  as  seen  in  the  cut.  His  de- 
scription is  as  follows : 


"  The  rod  E  slides  in  staples,  so  as  to  be  made  to  extend  farther  or  nearer  from 
the  fulcrum.  The  legs  on  which  the  disk  is  supported,  which  are  a  part  of  the 
casing,  terminate  below  in  a  socket  which  fits  upon  a  plug  screwed  into  the  base- 
board ;  upon  this  plug  it  may  be  fastened  by  the  set  screw  (S).  By  sliding  the  rod 
(R)  inward,  the  disk  may  be  turned  half  round  upon  the  plug,  so  as  to  place  the 
lettered  surface  out  of  the  sight  of  the  medium,  whose  power  to  influence  the  com- 
munications is  thus  nullified.  This  is  one  mode  of  attaining  test  conditions;  in 
other  words,  those  conditions  which  make  it  impossible  that  the  communications 
received  should  be  due  to  any  mortal. 

As  I  saw  the  machine,  it  was  constructed  much  more 

favorably  for  the  medium.     The  fulcrum  is  at  the  end  of 

the  lever  next  the  medium,  and  not  as  represented  in  the 

ut ;  consequently  her  hand  covers  it,  instead  of  being  be- 

6* 


130  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

hind.  In  the  latter  case,  involuntary  pressure  could  have 
no  effect  upon  the  index ;  in  the  former,  it  could  ;  and  as 
there  is  no  surety  against  this,  the  "  uNiiisTAKABLE  tests,'' 
advertised  on  her  card,  are  liable  to  great  mistakes ;  and, 
to  make  the  matter  worse,  the  disk  was  not  placed  in  a 
vertical  position,  but  in  that  of  an  inclined plane^  over  the 
top  of  which  she  could  look.  Thus  placed,  it  is  easy  to 
see,  that  in  the  hand  of  an  expert,  things  very  surprising 
to  some  minds,  might  transpire  without  the  agency  of  any 
spirit  out  of  "  the  form."  Now  we  do  not  say,  that  such 
is  the  case,  but  easily  might  be ;  hence  we  were  greatly 
disappointed  in  finding  the  machine  so  altered  that,  to  us, 
it  could  be  no  satisfactory  test.  If  it  operated  in  its  ori- 
ginal form,  as  Dr.  H.  declares,  we  can  not  see  why  it 
should  now  be  altered,  for  such  alteration  is  at  the  expense 
of  the  "  unmistakable  test."  And  therefore  it  appears 
that  Dr.  H.  has  earned  the  ridicule  of  mankind,  if  by  this 
means  alone  he  would  persuade  us,  that  the  contents  of  his 
book  came  from  the  spirit  world  in  any  other  than  the  or- 
dinary way  in  which  pernicious  principles  are  disseminated. 

I  concluded,  however,  to  try  it.  The  medium  placed 
her  hand  upon  the  lever  of  the  machine,  and  after  some 
time,  the  index  began  to  revolve,  skipping  from  letter  to 
letter,  but  remaining  long  enough  on  each,  until  I  could 
write  it ;  and  whenever  I  made  a  mistake,  it  would  cor- 
rect me  by  whirling  around,  and  dwelling  upon  the  right 
one.  This  operation  was  promising,  and  after  a  little  the 
following  was  spelt  out : 

"  My  son,  I  am  here !" 

Q.  Are  you  my  father  ?    A.  No. 

Q.  Will  you  give  me  your  name  ?  A.  (spelled)  "Anna 
Williams !" 

Having  said  that  such  was  not  my  mother's  name,  it 
was  then  spelled :  "  I  will  speak  for  your  mother."     My 


TWELFTH    SITTING.  131 

mother  is  living,  and  able  to  speak  for  herself;  but  I  was 
disposed  to  let  the  spirit  go  on. 

Q.  Have  you  a  communication  for  me  ?  A.  Yes,  (spel- 
led :)  "  My  son,  you  are  very  sincere,  but  too  skeptical 
for  the  spirits  to  approach.  I  do  not  wish  you  to  become 
a  convert  to  any  thing  without  proper  thought  and  in- 
vestigation. Anna,  your  mother P 

Now  it  appears  to  me,  that  the  medium  practised  this 
deception,  or  some  personating  spirit  did  it ;  but  the  at- 
tempt was  too  stupid  for  a  good  spirit  to  be  guilty  of,  for  the 
veriest  fool  could  detect  it.  In  the  former  case,  if  the 
medium  would  practise  upon  me,  she  would  practise  upon 
Dr.  Hare ;  in  the  latter,  personating  spirits  may  have 
duped  him  by  his  own  contrivance. 

But  the  medium  says  that  the  machine,  as  I  saw  it,  is 
as  good  for  unmistakable  tests  as  the  one  in  the  cut,  for 
such  tests  are  promised  on  her  card.  Then  the  matter 
stands  thus :  The  medium  being  truthful,  the  aforesaid 
attempted  deception  proves  that  the  Doctor  may  have 
been  the  more  grossly  imposed  upon  by  evil  spirits,  in  the 
use  of  his  own  contrivance;  or,  the  medium  being  untruth- 
ful, it  proves  that  he  is  victimized ;  therefore  whether  she 
be  truthful  or  otherwise,  his  pretensions  are  follies  of 
which  he  ought  not  to  have  been  guilty,  and  his  book  is 
worthless  for  the  purpose  for  which  he  intended  it,  and, 
as  we  hope  to  show,  worse  than  worthless  in  itself. 

Should  he  say  that  the  machine  through  which  I  re- 
ceived the  aforesaid  communication,  is  not  a  test  machine, 
he  would  impeach  his  own  medium,  through  whom  he  re- 
ceived the  contents  of  his  book,  for  she  promises  by  it 
"  unmistakable  tests,"  using  his  name  on  her  card.  Should 
he  say,  it  is  a  test  machine,  then  he  impeaches  himself, 
and  has  planned  the  method  of  his  own  deception ;  for  by 
it,  "Anna  Williams,"  clearly   a  personating   spirit,  at- 


132  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

tempted  to  impose  upon  me  ;  and  therefore  his  "  honored 
father,"  whose  identity  he  did  not  test  at  all,  I  have  a 
right  to  say,  was  a  personating  demon,  whose  attempt 
upon  him  admirably  succeeded.  So  that  whether  this  be 
a  test  machine  or  not,  Dr.  Hare  is  ridiculously  imposed 
upon,  and  is  entitled  to  "  roars  of  laughter." 

But  perhaps  it  will  be  said  the  main  object  of  the  ma- 
chine was  to  prove  the  fact  of  actual  spirit  agency,  with- 
out reference  to  its  character ;  but  this  only  makes  the 
matter  worse;  for  while  it  is  bad  enough  to  be  the 
laughing-stock  of  men,  it  is  much  worse  to  become  "  the 
sport  of  devils."  When  he  commenced  operations  with 
his  machine,  he  put  the  question,  p.  40 :  "  Will  the  spirit 
do  us  the  favor  to  give  the  initials  of  his  name  ?  The 
letters  R.  H.  were  successively  brought  under  the  index." 
With  ludicrous  pathos  the  Doctor  exclaims,  "  My  honored 
father !"  and  without  a  single  test  as  to  his  identity,  he 
goes  away  a  confirmed  Spirituahst ! 

It  is  but  just  to  say,  that  the  medium  appeared  to  be  very 
innocent  of  any  such  trickery,  and  I  went  on  to  interro- 
gate the  spirit  mentally  from  my  list  of  speculative  ques- 
tions, previously  answered  through  Mr.  C,  to  which  the 
reader  is  referred.  The  answers  received  were  not  the 
same,  but  were  equally  absurd  and  contradictory.  This, 
of  course ;  but  I  mention  it  just  to  show  there  is  as  much 
reliance  to  be  placed  on  one  spirit  as  on  another.  This 
one  is  clearly  proved,  if  a  spirit,  to  be  a  personating,  de- 
ceptive spirit ;  but  as  I  obtained  much  the  same  result  as 
in  the  interview  through  Mr.  C,  the  character  of  the  for- 
mer one  is  thus  shown  to  be  equally  bad.  Some  of  the 
answers-,  however,  were  expounded  through  the  machine, 
and,  assuming  the  honesty  of  the  medium,  this  was  very 
remarkable  for  the  manifestation  of  intelligence.  Some 
of  these  expositions  are  subjoined  : 


TWELFTH    SITTING.  133 

Q,  Is  God  the  essence  of  matter  ?  A.  Yes,  (spelled,) 
he  is  the  spirit  and  life  of  all  matter. 

Q.  Is  the  Trinity  a  fundamental  error  ?  A.  Yes,  (spell- 
ed,) as  understood  by  orthodox  Christians. 

Q.  Is  conscience  a  thing  of  education  ?  A.  No.  (Spell- 
ed.) The  savage  has  the  same  monition.  It  is  an  intui- 
tive faculty.  Intuition  is  superior  to  reason.  It  is  a  pure- 
ly spiritual  faculty. 

Q.  Will  God  punish  sin  in  hell  ?  A.  IvTo;  (SpeUed.) 
The  punishment  follows  as  a  matter  of  violated  law,  not 
as  a  punishment  from  God,  and  it  is  always  connected 
with  such  violation. 

Q.  Is  prayer  useless  ?  A.  Yes.  (Spelled.)  Useless  as 
affecting  God's  purposes ;  useful  as  producing  harmony 
in  the  creature. 

Q.  Is  the  Devil  a  real  being?  A.  No.  (Emphatic) 
(SpeUed.)  Only  as  he  exists  in  the  brain  of  man. 

Q.  You  are  a  perfect  infidel  ?  A.  (Spelled :)  No,  what 
am  I  infidel  to  ?  Not  so.  I  can  only  be  infidel  to  what 
I  profess  to  believe. 

Q.  Do  you  deny  that  Jesus  Christ  has  come  in  the 
flesh?*    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Will  you  say  that  he  has  come  in  the  flesh  ?  A. 
No. 

From  the  nature  of  some  questions  propounded,  the 
medium  declared  me  an  impressional  medium. 

At  a  subsequent  interview,  in  company  with  a  friend, 
who  had  a  mind  to  try  the  virtue  of  the  "  Spirit oscope," 
unsatisfactory  results  convinced  him  that  the  Doctor  had 
been  befooled.  He  has  endeavored,  by  means  of  a  mechan- 
ical contrivance,  to  bring  the  evidence  of  spirits  to  prove 

*  See  1  John  4  :  3. 


134  A   THEEE-rOLD   TEST. 

the  absurdity  of  the  Bible ;  but  has  only  succeeded  in 
establishing  his  own. 

THIRTEENTH   SITTING. 

At  another  interview,  I  Avished  the  disk  of  the  machine 
to  be  placed  in  a  vertical  position,  so  as  to  prevent  the 
medium  from  seeing  the  letters.  This  was  done,  and  my 
reason  asked.  I  told  her  perhaps  she  was  a  clairvoyant, 
and  my  object  was  to  guard  against  that  as  much  as  pos- 
sible. She  said  that  no  precaution  of  that  kind  could 
make  any  difference,  where  that  power  was  exerted ;  but 
she  declared  that  to  her  knowledge  she  was  not  a  clair- 
voyant.* I  then  told  her,  that  I  had  a  list  of  test  ques- 
tions to  be  all  mentally  put ;  but  to  my  disappointment 
no  spirit  would  try  it. 

The  medium  declares  herself  sure  that  I  am  an  impres- 
sional  medium,  and  have  no  need  of  seeking  the  aid  of 
others.  This  will  show  that  I  have  some  creditable  qual- 
ifications and  guidance  in  the  investigation  I  am  now 
making ;  and  that  in  the  estimation  of  Spirituafists,  the 
result  of  my  investigations  really  has  as  much  claim  upon 
their  attention  and  acceptance,  as  that  of  any  medium  that 
makes  them  pay  well  for  impressions. 

EOURTEENTH   SITTING. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  I  called  upon  a 
psychometric,  clairvoyant,  impressional  medium,  whose 
advertisement  in  the  Daily  Times^  among  the  "Religious 


*  Some  time  afterwards  I  happened  to  see  the  Spiritual  Telegraph  of 
July  26,  and  the  advertisement  of  this  lady  is  there  in  these  words. 
"Healinj?,  Clairvoyant,  Psychometric,  Writing  and  Test  Medium."  This 
surprised  me,  but  I  suppose  there  is  some  mistake  in  the  card— I  am 
sure  there  is  none  in  my  statement. 


FOURTEENTH    SITTING.  135 

l!^otices,"  had  attracted  my  attention.  I  copy  it  as  a 
sample  of  such  weekly  notices,  to  show  that  Spiritualism 
obtrudes  itself  upon  the  public,  not  in  the  character  of  a 
novel  subject  for  philosophical  investigation,  not  as  the 
development  of  a  new  class  of  phenomena  for  the  scrutiny 
of  science,  but  as  a  religion,  or  as  the  true  religion,  hav- 
ing superior  claims  upon  the  attention  of  mankind  ;  and 
as  the  avowed  enemy  of  "popular  Christianity." 


SPIRITUALISM.— Rev.  Uriah  Clark  and  Lady,  and  Dr.  A. 
Gr.  Fellows,  the  eminent  test  medium  of  Albion,  will  address  the  spi- 
ritual meeting  at  Lamartine  HaU,  comer  8th  avenue  and  29th  street, 
Sunday,  2|-  P.  M.,  Conference,  10^  A.  M.,  and  Circle  for  Spiritualists, 
H  P.  M. 

Having  informed  this  eminent  test  medium,  that  I  came 
for  tests^  by  which  to  try  the  claims  of  Spiritualism,  he 
put  himself  into  a  recumbent  attitude,  with  his  hand  upon 
his  brow,  and  in  about  five  minutes,  his  mind  (as  the 
theory  is)  became  en  rapport  with  the  spirit  world.  He 
described  a  spirit  near  me,  in  a  blue  bask  and  wine- 
colored  skirt,  having  a  locket  with  two  daguerreotypes  in 
it ;  but  she  soon  left.  Then  arose  upon  the  distant  hori- 
zon of  his  spiritual  vision,  a  tall,  thin,  lantern-jawed  man, 
with  a  big  head.  He  came  nearer  and  nearer,  and  I  be- 
gan to  fear  I  was  to  have  another  fizzling  interview,  like 
the  first.  He,  too,  disappeared.  After  a  long  pause  the 
medium  drew  up  to  me,  and,  taking  my  hand,  requested 
me  to  ask  three  mental  questions  only,  concentrating  my 
mind  strongly  upon  them.     I  did  so. 

Q.  Is  the  spirit  of  my  father  present  ?  A,  ITo,  sir, 
(shaking  my  hand  violently.) 

Q.  Is  the  Bible  a  perfectly  true  revelation  ?  A.  Yes, 
sir,  true,  emphatically  so.     (Great  shakes.) 

Q.  Is  this  medium  a  deluded  man  ?  A.  Yes,  sir,  no 
doubt  of  it,  that's  clear,  sir.     (Another  violent  shake.) 


136  A   THKEE-FOLD    TEST. 

"  Now  sir,"  he  continued,  "  you  may  ask  two  questions 
more  in  the  same  way." 

Q.  Are  you  a  personating  demon?  (meaning  the 
spirit  impressing  him.)  A.  Yes,  sir,  that's  it  exactly, 
(slapping  me  smartly  on  the  shoulder.) 

Q.  Are  you  one  of  the  Devil's  angels  ?  A.  Yes,  sir ; 
yes,  sir ;  yes,  sir.  Here  he  became  much  excited.  I  in- 
quired if  I  might  ask  another  question.  Permission  was 
given. 

Q.  Is  Spirituahsm  a  delusion  ?  A,  ISTo,  sir.  The  an- 
swer is  no,  in  that  form.  Getting  permission  to  vary  it, 
I  proceeded. 

Q.  Is  Spirituahsm  a  vile  delusion  ?  A.  Yes  sir,  true  ; 
in  that  form  it  is  true.  "  One  more  question,  if  you  please," 
said  I. 

Q.  Shall  I  proceed  to  expose  it  ?  A.  Yes,  sir,  (tre- 
mendous shaking,)  certainly ;  that's  it.  Yes,  sir,  by  all 
means. 

Having  altered  my  position  in  the  room,  the  spirit  then 
proceeded  to  give  a  psychometrical  reading  of  my  charac- 
ter, which  was  taken  down  by  Dr.  U.  C,  who  had  told 
me  he  had  been  a  Universalist  minister,  but  was  not  en- 
titled to  the  title  of  Dr.,  though  it  is  so  published  on  the 
card  of  these  gentlemen ;  but  this,  perhaps,  is  too  small 
to  mention,  were  it  not  that  it  awakens  suspicion  as  to 
the  rest  of  the  titles  which  dignify  many  media. 

The  unfolding  of  my  mental  constitution  by  the  spirit, 
thus  proceeded : 

"  This  gentleman  is  of  the  sanguine  bilious  tempera- 
ment, much  over-taxed  and  exhausted.  Number  is  large 
and  active — ^he  can  calculate  rapidly ;  is  very  decisive  in 
character ;  he  has  large,  active  executive  powers ;  spends 
some  sleepless  nights.  The  poetic,  ideal,  and  beautiful, 
are  i^rominent  in  his  mind.    He  has  an  inventive  genius, 


FOUETEENTII   SITTING.  137 

and  is  a  good  practical  schemer.  He  reasons  from  causal- 
ity. He  can  write  poetry.  He  has  published  to  some 
extent.  He  is  indefatigable  in  what  he  undertakes.  This 
gentleman  has  musical  appreciation  keen.  He  is  naturally 
a  speaker.  He  sees  clearly,  but  is  not  always  able  to 
express  himself,  because  he  finds  language  inadequate  to 
give  his  precise  form  of  thought.  He  has  deep  mathe- 
matical powers.  He  is  not  animal,  but  spiritual,  sensitive 
and  affectionate.  When  he  dreams,  he  dreams  beauti- 
fully and  wildly.  He  is  not  suspicious,  but  open,  yet  cau- 
tious ;  not  credulous,  but  must  have  facts,  science,  philo- 
sophy, as  a  basis.  This  gentleman,  as  a  speaker,  prefers 
religion — religious  truth.  Rational  religion,  intricate 
moral  truths,  are  subjects  of  predominant  interest  in 
your  mind.  He  would  have  been  successful  as  a  demon- 
strator of  anatomy,  or  in  analysing  any  thing  and  every 
thing.  Your  mediumship*  is  of  the  impressional  nature. 
Your  spiritual  nature  is  keenly  susceptible  to  spiritual  in- 
fluences, and  frequently  your  thoughts,  feelings,  and  emo- 
tions are  so  intuitive,  that  you  may  become  almost  con- 
scious of  the  fact  that  spirit  intelligences  are  present." 
Have  you  any  questions  to  ask  ?" 

Q.  What  is  the  precise  connecting  link  between  soul 
and  body  ?  A.  (This  was  long,  rambling,  and  of  course 
unsatisfactory ;  but  the  drift  of  it  was,  that  spirit  is  an 
elimination  of  matter.) 

Q.  As  the  spinal  marrow  is  a  continuation  of  the  mat- 
ter of  the  brain,  can  you  say  that  the  intelligence  is  con- 
fined to  the  brain  ?  A.  Ko,  it  is  not ;  the  whole  of  the 
spinal  column  is  also  occupied  by  the  mind. 

As  my  time  was  up,  I  had  to  leave  without  proceeding 
to  certain  other  interesting  consequential  physiological 

*  Tho  theory  is,  that  all  men  are  media,  though  few  are  developed. 


138  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

questions.  My  name  was  asked ;  but  as  I  did  not  care  to 
be  known  just  then,  I  gave  my  middle  name  only.  I  may 
as  well  here  say,  that  the  above  was  none  of  your  vulgar 
phrenological  fingering  by  a  mortal ;  but  a  certificate  of 
character  by  the  spirits  from  the  upper  spheres  ;  though 
I  have  a  secret  misgiving  that  there  is  some  uncertainty 
about  this ;  and  as  my  fellow  mortals  have  never  discov- 
ered such  traits  of  character  in  me,  to  my  hitherto  great 
mortification,  I  may  be  pardoned  for  making  a  disclosure 
from  the  spirits  in  regard  to  myself,  just  to  enlighten  their 
ignorance,  and  to  show  my  fitness,  in  the  way  of  natural 
credentials  to  make  the  investigation  I  am  now  pursu- 
ing ;  and  which,  I  have  been  told  by  another  medium,  I 
am  eminently  qualified  to  make. 

The  next  day,  I  called  to  receive  answers  to  questions 
that  had  arisen  in  my  mind  out  of  the  last,  about  the 
brain.  Having  informed  the  medium  I  wished  to  ask 
them  mentally^  he  assented,  saying  that  he  would  consult 
his  spirit  friends.  After  a  few  moments,  he  bid  me 
go  on. 

Q.  As  the  spinal  marrow  is  a  continuance  of  the  mat- 
ter of  the  brain,  does  the  intellect  of  those  predisposed 
to  the  belief  of  the  system  of  Spiritualism  have  a  ten- 
dency in  that  direction  ?    A.  Yes,  positively,  it  is  so. 

Q.  Does  the  brain-dribble  of  Spiritualistic  authors,  like 
that,  for  instance,  in  the  great  Harmonia  by  Davis,  in  their 
abnormal  state,  ooze  out  at  the  terminating  point  of  said 
continuance  ?    A.  Yes,  that's  it ;  positively  so. 

This  will  be  seen  to  be  satisfactory.  It  has  long  been 
a  wonder,  how  an  individual  of  no  education  or  culture 
whatever,  in  a  state  of  rigidity,  with  a  countenance  Hke 
that  of  death,  save  the  muscular  motion  required  by 
speech,  should  so  copiously  pour  out  such  wonderful  stuff 
as  is  found  in  "  Nature's  Divine  Revelations,"  "  The  Great 


FIFTEENTH    SITTING.  139 

Harmonia,"  4  vols.,  "Philosophy  of  Spiritual  Inter- 
course," "  The  Harmonial  Man,"  "  The  Penetralia,"  etc., 
but  it  is  now  explained.  The  spinal  marrow  in  certain  or- 
ganizations is  employed  by  the  mind  for  excursions  out  of 
the  body  in  an  abnormal  state,  and  is  a  conductor,  in  this 
remarkable  case,  of  copious  discharges  of  brain-dribble 
from  the  cerebellum  while  in  that  state.  Wonderful 
physiological  fact !  equal  to  any  thing  yet  revealed  by 
spirits  respecting  the  mutual  operations  of  the  soul  and 
the  body.  The  reader  will  bear  this  in  mind  in  perusing 
the  internal  evidence  of  spirit  literature,  in  the  sequel. 
He  will  also  please  to  remember  that,  according  to  the 
testimony  of  the  two  last  mentioned  media,  the  writer  is 
an  impressional  medium,  and  therefore,  his  spiritual  pro- 
clivities leading  him  to  the  bottom  of  subjects,  his  ques- 
tions are  pointed  more  by  direct  spiritual  agency  than 
by  his  own  genius.  Although  he  can  not  bring  himself 
under  the  control  of  this  asserted  fact,  by  actual  belief, 
yet  assuming  the  truth  of  Spiritualism,  it  must  be  so.  The 
authority  for  the  above  facts  is  here  given,  and  the  fra- 
ternity in  the  service  of  this  cause,  can  not  fairly  object 
to  it. 

FIFTEENTH   SITTING. 

July  25.  Visited  Miss  Katy  Fox.  This  young  lady 
is  too  young  to  be  an  expert  in  deception,  too  simple  to 
be  able  to  beguile  all  classes  and  conditions  of  men,  and 
manifestly  too  honest  to  make  the  attempt ;  yet,  through 
her  I  have  received  strong  physical  manifestations  and 
the  most  satisfactory  test  of  intelligence  commingled. 
On  my  way  to  her  residence,  I  was  strongly  impressed, 
as  Spiritualists  would  say,  with  the  wish  that  my  friend 

G should  pay  me  another  visit,  as  I  wanted  to  try 

more  earnestly  upon  him  vaj  mental  test. 


140  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

At  the  time  appointed  we  began.  Another  gentleman 
besides  myself  approached  a  common  table  at  the  invi- 
tation of  the  medium.  This  elderly  gentleman  was  a 
stranger  and  a  convert.  He  told  me  he  had  received 
remarkable  physical  manifestations,  among  which  were 
the  raps  on  stone  as  weU  as  wood  surface ;  but,  however 
various  and  surprising,  they  were  nothing  in  his  estima- 
tion compared  with  intelligence  as  a  test.  Loud  and 
strong  raps  came  on  the  floor,  in  confirmation  of  his 
remark ;  and,  apparently,  heliind  the  chair  on  which  the 
medium  was  sitting.  I  inquired  whether  she  had  ever 
been  insulated  by  means  of  glass  ?  She  replied  in  the 
affirmative,  and  also  said,  that  all  manner  of  experiments 
had  been  made  with  her  without  producing  any  alter- 
ation in  the  raps,  and  without  enabling  any  person  to 
discover  their  cause,  or  the  means  by  which  they  were 
made.  She  requested  me  to  go  to  the  door,  which  she 
drew  out  upon  the  shde ;  and,  standing  near  it,  without 
touching,  she  requested  me  to  put  my  hand  upon  it,  and 
then  asked  the  spirit  to  rap  upon  the  door :  accordingly, 
loud  raps  were  made  upon  the  panel.  I  then  put  my 
ear  hard  upon  the  frame^  and  my  hand  near  my  ear,  and 
requested  the  raps  to  be  made  opposite.  This  was  done 
strongly,  and  I  felt  a  jar ;  immediately  they  were  made 
at  the  back  of  the  medium  upon  the  door  of  a  closet,  and 
then  again  upon  the  floor  near  me.  There  was  no  ma- 
nipulation upon  her  part  at  aU. 

We  resumed  our  seats  at  the  table,  where  the  other 
gentleman,  a  friend  of  the  family  from  a  distance,  as  I 
understood,  was  now  reading.  I  inquired  whether  the 
spirit  present  was  ready  to  communicate  with  me.  Loud 
affirmative  raps  were  made,  and,  from  the  names  I  had 
put  down,  that  of  G.  I.  G.  was  selected. 

Q.  Are  you  a  relative  ?    A.  No. 


FIFTEENTH   SITTING.  141 

Q.  A  friend?    A.  Yes. 

A  rapping  for  the  alphabet  was  made,  and  the  follow- 
ing spelt  out : 

"  Mary  is  here  with  me." 

Q.  A  relative  of  mine?  A.  l^o.  Not  knowing  to 
whom  reference  was  made,  I  remarked  that  probably  the 
best  test  was  to  question  him  upon  the  minutia?  of  his 
Hfe?  The  answer  of  the  medium  was  anticipated  by 
sharp  knocks  upon  the  floor. 

The  following  was  written : 

Q.  What  was  your  occupation — a  plumber  ?     A.  N'o. 

Q.  A  merchant  ?     A.  No. 

Q.  A  minister  ?  A.  Yes.  This  was  doing  very  well ; 
but  I  was  interrupted  by  another  call  for  the  alphabet. 
The  following  communication  was  then  spelt  out,  and 
mistakes  of  letters  corrected  by  raps : 

"  My  interest  in  you  is  great,  and  I  wish  you  to  care- 
fully investigate  this  subject,  with  judgment  suspended. 
You  know  how  skeptical  I  was  regarding  new  and 
strange  doctrine.  I  have  changed  my  belief.  Heaven 
to  me  is  more  beautiful,  and  I  find  that  God  is  more  just 
than  my  brethren  represented.  There  is  one  eternal 
progression  here,  and  you  have  it  in  your  power  to  make 
your  spirit-home  a  paradise  of  beauty.  Every  pure 
thought  that  passes  through  the  portals  of  your  soul,  is  a 
new  and  beautiful  shrub  in  the  garden  of  your  home." 

This,  certainly,  is  well  said;  and  was  startling.  I  asked 
if  the  spirit  would  sign  his  name  to  it  ?  A.  Yes.  I  then 
wrote  the  names  of  Robert,  George  Gordon,  Henry 
Dayton,  George  Wood,  and  the  name  in  fuU,  of  which 
G.  I.  G.  are  the  initials.  Having  folded  each  in  a  paper 
ball,  I  threw  them  promiscuously  on  the  table,  and  the 
four  false  ones  were  successively  negatived,  and  the  re- 
maining one  chosen.    Instead  of  that,  I  picked  up  one  of 


142  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

the  others;  when  a  tumultuous  rapping  assured  me  of 
mistake.  I  then  went  over  it  agam,  with  the  same  re- 
sult, and  opening  the  paper  designated,  there,  sure 
enough,  was  the  full  name  of  G.  I.  G.,  intended  for  the 
signature ! 

The  medium  then  asked  if  the  spirit  would  ring  a 
bell,  if  put  under  the  table?    A,  Yes. 

The  bell  was  sent  for,  and  I  proceeded : 

Q.  Where  did  you  die — New- York  ?    A,  No. 

Q.  Newtown?    A.  No. 

Q.  Milwaukie?    A,  No. 

Q,  s e  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  your  family  at  New-York  ?    A,  No. 

Q.  Somerville?    A.  No. 

Q.  Are  they  at  L ?    A,  No. 

Q,  AtN e?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  is  my  vocation — a  merchant  ?    A.  No. 

Q.  A  lawyer  ?     A.  No. 

Q.  A  minister?    A.  Yes. 

At  this  moment  a  large-sized  dinner-bell  was  brought 
in  and  placed  under  the  table.  A  call  for  the  alphabet 
required  me  to  change  places  with  the  other  gentleman. 
I  could  see  no  object  in  this,  unless  to  make  variety  in 
the  intelligence.  After  the  change  was  made,  another 
call  required  us  to  sit  closer  together.  Rappings  now  re- 
fused all  requests  made.  The  medium  placed  both  her 
feet  on  the  feet  of  the  other  gentleman,  and  soon  the 
bell  rang  loudly,  and  was  tumbled  over  /  was  rolled  over, 
as  I  should  judge,  and  then  rang  again.  I  distinctly 
heard  the  clapper  click,  as  it  was  shoved  along  on  the 
carpet,  much  in  the  same  way  as  a  child  would  play  with 
a  bell  upon  the  floor.  This  was  twice  repeated.  Then  the 
gentleman  requested  the  spirit  to  unfasten  the  foot-straps 
of  his  pantaloons.    He  assured  me  he  felt  something  at 


b 


FIFTEENTH   SITTING.  143 

work  at  one  of  his  feet,  extended  for  tliat  operation.  At 
this  stage  of  the  proceeding,  unfortunately  we  were  in- 
terrupted, much  to  the  annoyance  of  us  all;  but  a  se- 
cond call  compelled  the  medium  to  leave.  The  spirit 
promised,  however,  to  meet  me  in  the  same  place  at 
a  certain  time  appointed,  to  complete  our  interview,  and 
we  parted.  Here  it  is  proper  to  say,  not  a  single  mis- 
take was  made,  in  the  answers  above  given. 

Three  days  after,  I  resumed.  The  spirit  kept  his  pro- 
mise, and  gave  me  his  initials  as  before,  and  I  proceeded 
with  mental  test  questions  of  fact : 

Q.  Where  did  you  statedly  preach — Charleston  ?  A. 
N"o. 

Q.  St 1?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Albany?     A.  No. 

Q.  N e  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Rye  ?    A.  No. 

Q,  J a?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Cove?    A.  No. 

Q.  L i?    A.  Yes. 

Q,  Of  what  denomination — Baptist  ?    A.  No. 

Q.  Episcopalian?    A.  No. 

Q.  Dutch  Reformed?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Were  you  married  more  than  once  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  was  your  wife's  first  name — Sarah  Jones? 
A.  No. 

Q.  Mary  Peters?    A.  No. 

Q.  E.VanL ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Where  did  you  marry  her  :  N e  ?     A.  No. 

Q.  Rye?    A,  No. 

Q.  New-Briinswick  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  What  is  your  second  wife's  name — ^Rachel  Mont- 
fort?    A,  No. 

Q.  C R ?    A.  Yes. 


144  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

Q.  Where  did  you  marry  her — New-Brunswick  ?    A, 
No. 

Q.  Harrisburg?     A.  No. 

Q.  N e?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Of  what  disease  did  you  die — apoplexy  ?    A,  No. 

Q.  Dysentery?    A.  Yes. 

Here  was  a  call  for  the  alphabet,  and  this  sentence 
was  spelt  out : 

"  The  lady  I  married  of  Cuicinnati  is  with  me !" 

Q.  Have  you  had  an  interview  with  me  before  ?  A.. 
Yes. 

Q.  Through  Miss  C ?    A,  No. 

Q.  Through  Mr.  C ?    A.  Yes. 

Here  are  twenty-eight  questions  of  fact,  all  correctly 
answered;  but,  by  the  call  for  the  alphabet,  the  spirit 
entrapped  himself  in  a  great  mistake,  yet  the  intelligence 
is  manifest. 

I  proceeded  now  to  cross-question  him  mentally^  as  be- 
fore, on  the  matter  of  his  written  coromunication,  and 
upon  other  things  he  ought  to  know  about : 

Q.  Did  you  preach  true  doctrine  ?     A.  Yes. 

Q.  Did  you  preach /a?56  doctrine?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Have  you  changed  your  belief?    A.  No. 

Q.  Was  you  skeptical  about  strange  doctrine  ?  A, 
Yes. 

Q,  Was  you  credulous  in  this  matter  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Do  you  believe  now  all  you  preached  on  earth  ? 
A.  Yes. 

Q,  Is  the  Bible  true  9    A.  Yes. 

q.  Is  the  '^Aq  false  9    A,  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  true  9    A,  Yes. 

^.  Is  that  doctrme/a?se.^    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  all  religions  alike  worthless  ?    A,  Don't  know. 

Q.  Is  Christ  a /aMo?<s  being  ?     A.  Yes. 


FIFTEENTH   SITTING.  145 

Q.  Is  Christ  a  real  being  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Was  he  a  mere  man  ?     ^.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  the  doctrine  of  atonement  a  swre  foundation? 
A.  Yes. 

g.  Is  the  atonement  of  Christ  2^  false  foundation  ?  A. 
Yes. 

§.  Does  the  blood  of  Christ  alone  wash  away  sin? 
A.  No. 

Q.  Is  it  valueless  for  that  purpose  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  you  saved  by  Christ  ?    ^.  Doubtful. 

g.  Are  you  saved  without  Christ  ?    A.  Yes. 

g.  Is  faith  in  Christ  a  vain  thmg?    A.  Don't  know. 

§.  Is  faith  in  Christ  the  only  way  of  salvation  ?  A, 
Yes. 

Q.  Is  there  a  hell  ?    ^.  Yes. 

Q,  Is  hell  a  fiction?    A.  Yes. 

§.  Is  the  devil  a  real  beuig  ?    A.  Yes. 

g.  Is  he  a  fabulous  being  ?     ^.  Yes. 

Q.  Do  personatiQg  demons  deceive  men  by  means  of 
Spiritualism?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Is  Spiritualism  true  ?     A.  Yes, 

Q,  Is  it  false  ?     ^.  Yes. 

§.  Is  it  the  old  system  of  Demonology  revived  ?  A. 
Yes.     (Tumultuous  rapping.) 

Q.  Is  heathenism  preferable  to  Christianity  ?  A.  Yes. 
(Strong  raps.) 

§.  Now,  I  demand  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Christ,  are 
you  a  demon  personatuig  my  friend  ?  A.  Yes.  (Strong 
raps.) 

Q.  Are  all  communications  of  Spiritualism  from  per- 
sonating demons  ?    A,  Yes.     (Strong  raps.) 

Q.  Is  banishment  from  God  your  eternal  portion? 
A.  Yes.     (Raps  slow,  as  if  reluctantly  given.) 

Q.  Why  did  you  attempt  to  deceive  me  ?  No  answer. 
7 


146  A   THKEE-FOLD   TEST. 

I  insist  upon  an  answer.  Here  there  was  a  rapping  for 
che  alphabet,  when  this  sentence  was  spelled  : 

"  You  are  mistaken." 

Q.  I  demand  again,  in  the  name  of  Christ,  are  you  a 
lost  spirit  ?    A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  you  an  ignorant  spirit  ?     A.  No. 

Q.  Are  you  a  personating  spirit  ?     A.  Yes. 

Q.  Are  you  a  demon  damned  ?     A.  Yes. 

Q.  Will  you  ever  be  saved  ?    A.  No. 

Q.  Is  it  the  design,  by  the  movement  of  modern  Spi- 
ritualism, to  overthrow  Christianity?  A.  Yes.  I  wanted 
no  more  inteUigence,  and  left. 

All  this  was  carried  on  without  a  single  test  question  vo- 
calized. It  will  be  seen,  that  no  Spiritualist  can  produce 
a  stronger  case  of  the  identity  of  a  spirit  friend.  On  all 
questions  of  fact,  I  received  accurate  answers ;  but,  by 
cross-questions,  the  spirit  upset  his  own  communication, 
given  me  only  three  days  before.  By  a  double  set  of 
questions  of  speculation,  he  contradicted  himself  through- 
out, and  by  questions  of  solemn  adjuration,  he  confessed 
his  true  character,  and  the  object  had  in  view  by  the 
movement  of  modern  Spiritualism.  The  spirit,  before  he 
left,  confessed  that  he  coidd  not  deceive  me;  and  by  the 
great  variety  of  sound  on  the  table  and  on  the  floor 
curiously  made  when  I  adjured  him,  and  surprising  to 
the  medium  herself,  it  was  evident  to  my  mind,  he  was 
greatly  embarrassed.  She  said  there  were  other  spirits 
with  him,  but  it  was  of  no  use ;  they  could  not  help  him 
out. 

Thus  ended  my  investigations.  However  others  may 
feel  or  judge  about  the  matter,  I  am  perfectly  satis- 
fied. I  have  taken  the  Judge's  advice,  and,  by  a  most 
thorough  test,  for  Avhich  I  am  indebted  to  him,  I  have 
arrived  at  a  perfect  conviction,  that  however  estimable 


INTELLIGENCE  FROM  INTELLECT.  147 

our  Spiritualists  may  be  as  men  and  as  citizens,  they  are 
most  fearfully  deluded.  I  do  not  wish  to  disparage 
them,  or  say  aught  against  them;  I  have  tried  to  be 
just  in  my  estimation  of  private  character,  and  however 
wounded  in  my  own  feelings  by  the  hard  speeches,  and 
unworthy  personal  attacks  made  indiscriminately  on  the 
members  of  my  own  profession,  I  would  not  return  rail- 
ing for  railing,  but  earnestly  pray  that  they  may  be  for- 
given, for  they  know  not  what  they  do. 

I  have  implicitly  followed  the  directions  of  the  Judge, 
and  I  have  minutely  recorded  my  own  experience,  in 
addition  to  other  matters,  that  the  reader  may  have  the 
data  upon  which  he  can  do  his  own  thinking.  Now,  were 
there  nothing  but  a  host  of  facts  like  those  mentioned 
in  the  first  chapter,  apart  from  any  intelligence,  we  should 
indeed  be  unable  to  account  for  them.  Their  tendency 
might  lead  us  to  associate  them  with  evil  agency  in  some 
general  way,  yet  few  would  attribute  them  to  the  opera- 
tion of  spirits  directly.  But  then  we  are  sure  of  one 
thing,  namely,  intelligence  must  come  from  intellect,  no 
matter  how  small  it  may  be.  Here  we  have  a  foothold.. 
When  we  see  a  rainbow,  we  ascribe  it  to  a  natural  cause  ; 
but  should  we  see  the  word  "  ISToah"  spelt  out  in  it,  we 
should  ascribe  it  to  an  intelligent  cause.  A  "  streak  of 
lightning"  does  not  disturb  us,  but  should  it  flash  out  a 
distinct  intelligible  word,  we  should  ascribe  it  to  a  spiiit- 
ual  cause.  So  we  must  argue  with  regard  to  these  phe- 
nomena. If  we  can  detect  intelligence  in  them,  which 
circumstances  make  it  irrational  to  ascribe  to  the  minds 
of  the  media,  we  must  feel  ourselves  compelled  to  assign 
them  to  a  spiritual  cause  of  some  sort ;  and  the  tendency 
of  the  whole  unquestionably  demonstrates  the  nature  of 
such  spiritual  agency.  Scientific  men  have  been  investi- 
gating this  subject  for  the  past  six  years  or  more,  but 


148  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

they  have  failed  hitherto,  satisfactorily  to  account  for  the 
phenomena,  and  we  are  as  far  from  a  solution  now  as  at 
the  beginning  of  their  inquiries.  Allowing  that  a  large 
portion  of  the  recorded  facts  are  mainly  fictions,  still 
there  is  left  a  large  amount  so  well  authenticated 
it  would  be  folly  to  deny  them ;  and  it  would  be  blind- 
ness indeed  not  to  see,  that  the  practical  aim  to  be  reach- 
ed through  these  wonders,  is  the  establishment  of  the 
minds  of  believers  in  a  system  of  doctrine  universally 
taught  wherever  they  obtain.  The  wonders  wrought, 
go  to  prepare  the  mind  for  the  reception  of  the  doctrine 
and  confirmation  of  its  truth.  These  seem  to  be  imita- 
tions of  the  miracles  of  the  New  Testament,  and  designed 
for  a  similar  purpose.  So  far,  then,  as  imitation  is  observ- 
able in  the  adaptation  of  means  to  ends,  there  is  a  gen- 
eral design  discovered,  and  consequently  a  degree  of  gen- 
eral intelligence  is  apparent. 

But  we  must  argue  upon  our  own  facts.  What  do 
they  prove  ? 

1.  That  rappings  and  tippings  are  produced  really  and 
truly  by  some  cause,  not  in  the  media ;  though  their  in- 
strumental interposition  seems  to  be  necessary  to  the 
manifestations.  Dr.  Taylor  of  Petersham,  Mass.,  discov- 
ered accidentally  that  he  was  a  writing  medium,  and 
while  in  the  abnormal  state,  would  write  rapidly  "  with- 
out any  voluntary  efibrt  of  his  own."  "  While  in  this 
state,"  he  says,  "  I  felt  a  sensation  like  that  of  a  light  gal- 
vanic current  passing  through  me.  Sometimes  it  appear- 
ed to  be  a  steady  thriU,  and  sometimes  it  was  iatermit- 
tent,  resembling  light  shocks  of  electricity."  His  conclu- 
sion is,  that  the  strange  phenomena  of  which  he  was  the 
subject,  were  not  tricks  of  his  own,  neither  did  they  come 
from  the  spirit  world,  but  were  the  result  of  what  he  calls 
detached  vitalized  electricity.    Thus  he  would  explain  the 


AN   INSUFFICIENT   CAUSE.  149 

whole.  Few  persons  comprehend  the  meaning  of  this 
phrase,  but  all  can  readily  understand,  that  to  be  a  suffi- 
cient explanation,  this  agent  ought  to  have  been  always 
producing  the  same  effects  which  have  but  recently  been 
manifested.  K  the  vital  electricity  of  the  human  body  can 
be  detached  from  it,  so  as  to  produce  sounds  and  other  phe- 
nomena, how  happens  it  that  they  have  not  occurred 
before,  or  that  they  now  occur  in  such  profusion  ?  This 
explanation  does  not  prove  adequate. 

2.  There  is  a  low  degree  of  iutelligence  exhibited  by 
means  of  these  phenomena,  which  the  circumstances  of 
its  reception  forbid  us  to  connect  with  the  minds  of  the 
media ;  and  therefore  it  must  come  from  some  other  in- 
tellects ;  and  whether  good  or  bad,  that  must  be  deter- 
mined by  the  evident  nature,  tendency,  and  design  of  the 
intelligence  received. 

The  author  of  "  Counsels  for  the  Cottage  and  the  Man- 
sion," a  well- written  and  useM  book,  says : 

"  As  to  the  plea  that  '  spirits  must  make  the  sounds,' 
to  account  for  the  intelligence  communicated,  it  beiug 
impossible  for  mere  ''electricity  to  originate  facts,'  we 
reply  by  affirming  that  there  is  no  intelligence  given  be- 
yond a  certain  Umit ;  that  is,  the  mind  of  some  one  or 
ones  in  connection,  either  present  or  absent,  for  it  makes 
no  difference.  For  available  purposes,  a  person  a  thou- 
sand or  ten  thousand  miles  distant  may  yield  all  the 
amount  of  intelligence  required  in  a  given  case.  Dis- 
tance is  no  obstacle  whatever.  Electricity  counts  neither 
time  nor  space.  For  instance,  the  transmission  of  elec- 
tricity through  a  conducting  substance  is  instantaneous. 
A  wire,  or  other  conductor,  may  have  motion  communi- 
cated to  its  whole  length  at  the  same  moment,  whatever 
that  length  may  be ;  and  it  is  stated  that  electro-mag- 
netic impulse  maybe  transmitted  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred 
and  eighty  thousand  miles  in  a  second,  thus  outstripping 
the  sun  in  its  march ! 

"  A  large  number  of  intelligent  individuals,  who,  for  a 


150  A  THKEE-FOLD  TEST. 

year  or  two  past,  have  instituted  a  series  of  experiments 
upon  this  matter  of  '  intelligence,'  have  found  that  in  no 
case  has  information  been  imparted  beyond  what  existed 
in  their  own  minds  or  that  of  some  kiudred  or  friend." 

I  can  not  think  of  any  thing  more  intensely  absurd  than 
the  theory,  that  correct  answers  may  be  given  to  my 
mental  questions  by  a  person  "  a  thousand  or  ten  thou- 
sand miles"  distant,  through  detached  vitalized  electric- 
ity, or  any  other  natural  agent,  and  announced  to  me  on 
a  table,  by  rapping  or  tipping,  or  through  the  fingers  of 
a  writing  medium. 

At  my  tenth  sitting,  it  will  be  seen,  that  the  law  of 
gravitation  was  overcome  in  raising  the  table,  with  the 
hands  and  portions  of  the  forearms  of  the  medium  upon 
it ;  that  the  name  of  my  father  was  selected  out  of  sev- 
eral others,  and  a  communication  given,  professedly  writ- 
ten by  him,  and  signed  with  his  true  name,  without 
a  vocal  sound.  This,  I  am  to  believe,  all  comes  from 
some  living  person,  within  a  circuit  of  ten  thousand  miles, 
more  or  less,  through  detached  vitalized  electricity! 
BeUeve  it,  who  can. 

At  the  same  sitting,  the  true  initials  of  a  departed 
friend  were  given  at  the  end  of  a  communication  assign- 
ing a  reason;  and  several  mental  questions  of  fact, 
utterly  beyond  the  power  of  the  media  to  answer,  had 
they  been  vocalized,  were  correctly  answered  through 
the  tippings  of  his  table,  and  all  by  vitalized  electricity 
emanatiug  from  some  person  somewhere  on  the  face  of 
the  earth! 

At  my  eleventh  sitting,  the  true  names  of  three  parents 
were  selected  from  several  fictitious  names,  secretly 
written ;  and  correct  answers  to  questions  of  fact  secretly 
written,  and  as  soon  as  written,  were  given  by  raps  upon 
the  table  and  floor ;  and  all  this  comes  from  some  per- 


A   STRONG  TEST.  151 

son's  vital  electricity,  detached,  and  performing  the  opera- 
tions of  mind,  it  may  be  from  the  other  side  of  the  globe ! 
This  beats  all  assumptions,  for  extravagance,  ever  yet 
made.  Such  explanations  can  only  -serve  to  confirm 
Spiritualists  in  their  delusion.  Our  theory  of  personating 
demons  explains  every  thing,  without  the  incumbrance 
of  any  such  incomprehensible  suppositions. 

•At  my  twelfth  sitting,  if  the  operation  of  the  Spiritoscope, 
as  above  described,  be  satisfactory  to  the  reader,  then  the 
explanations  to  the  answers  given,  exhibit  remarkable  in- 
telligence ;  although  it  is  clear  that  "  Anna  Williams"  is 
a  personating  demon. 

At  my  fourteenth  sitting,  which  is  the  most  remarkable 
one,  a  very  striking  display  of  intellect,  in  connection 
with  physical  manifestations,  shows  that  no  material  power 
is  adequate  to  account  for  it.  Could  I  be  brought  to  be- 
lieve that  vitalized  electricity,  or  any  other  known  im- 
ponderable natural  agent,  by  any  possibility,  could  write 
out  such  a  communication,  and  answer  correctly  so  many 
questions,  I  could  not  avoid  the  grossest  forms  of  material- 
ism, nor  the  blackness  of  darkness  that  would  be  to  my 
soul  as  the  horrible  pall  of  annihilation.  But  it  will  be 
seen,  that  nothing  has  been  communicated  here,  incom- 
patible with  the  agency  of  personating  demons.  Their 
confession  is  wrung  from  them. 

3.  The  doctrines  of  Spirituahsm  may  be  all  received 
by  means  of  the  mental  test  ordinarily  applied.  But  in 
the  way  it  has  been  used  by  me,  the  contrary  doctrines 
are  also  taught,  making  a  perfect  medley  of  contradic- 
tions, so  glaring  as  to  prove  the  fact  of  no  intelligence 
whatever^  in  answers  to  questions  of  speculation,  which 
spirits  ought  to  know.  Now,  the  intelligence  manifested 
in  the  application  of  means  to  an  end,  and  in  answers  to 
questions  of  fact,  taken  in  connection  Tvdth  the  absence  of 


152  A   THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

intelligence  in  answers  to  questions  of  speculation,  is  con- 
founding to  the  mind ;  and  such  a  result  can  not  come 
from  a  good  source. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  spirits  are  unanimous 
in  teaching  the  doctrines  of  heathenism  and  Spiritualism ; 
and  in  our  reading,  we  have  found  that  this  everywhere 
prevails ;  but  we  have  seen  no  attempt  made,  through 
reverse  questions,  to  obtain  their  confirmation.  If.  a 
spirit  can  intelligently  answer  "  Yes"  to  the  mental  ques- 
tion, "  Is  the  DevU  a  fabulous  being  ?"  surely  he  ought  to 
answer  "  No"  to  that  question  reversed.  If  the  doc- 
trines of  Spiritualism  had  been  thus  confirmed  by  two 
SETS  of  contrary  questions^  then  there  would  be  some 
ground  for  the  confident  assertions  of  our  Spiritualistic 
authors,  but  none  for  their  vituperations,  their  unman- 
nerly and  unmanly  abuse.  This,  however,  is  not  the 
case.  The  low  intelligence,  in  answer  to  questions  of 
fact,  has  been  so  perfectly  overwhelming  to  our  credulous 
friends,  that  they  have  swallowed,  without  winking,  the 
whole  system  of  heathenism,  without  a  single  respectable 
attempt  to  test  their  spirits,  as  we  have  done,  on  questions 
of  speculation !  They  have  therefore  shown  themselves 
the  most  credulous  men  in  the  world,  while  they  malev- 
olently berate  the  believer  in  Christianity,  for  that  very 
prominent  trait  of  character  they  have  ignorantly  labored 
to  make  the  most  conspicuous  in  themselves,  and  have 
not  labored  in  vain ;  for  the  result  is  made  manifest  in 
all  their  horrid  publications. 

4.  We  have  proved,  what  they  have  done  before  us, 
(though  they  deny  it,)  that  personating  demons  are  the 
prime  agents  in  advancing  the  work  of  modern  Spiritual- 
ism. No  man  among  them  can  present  better  tests  of 
personal  identity  of  good  spirits  than  we  can  do ;  and 
yet  we  have  convicted  them  of  gross  lies,  and  have  made 


SEDUCING   SPIEITS.  153 

them  confess  themselves  personating  demons,  i.e.,  evil 
spirits,  and  that  modern  Spiritualism  is  the  enterprise  of 
such  spirits  alone.  Now  we  defy  the  whole  batch  of 
Spiritualistic  authors,  whose  brain-dribble  has  been  flow- 
ing to  tarnish  the  character  of  Christ,  misrepresent  his 
nature  and  his  work,  vilify  his  Church,  his  ministry,  his 
people,  and  his  cause,  to  prove  the  contrary.  They  can  not 
do  it.  Nothing  has  yet  occurred,  within  the  whole  com- 
pass of  the  sayings  and  doings  of  spirits  accepted  as  good, 
incompatible  with  the  cunning  and  artifice  of  those 
mahgnant  beings  called  by  Christ  the  Devil  and  his  angels. 
But  we  appeal  to  authority  which  Spiritualists  wiU  not 
dispute.  We  quote  from  a  book  of  concentrated  blas- 
phemy, entitled,  "  The  History  of  the  Origin  of  all 
Things,  delivered  by  the  Loed  Jesus  Christ,  to  L.  M. 
Arnold,  of  Poughkeepsie,  Medium! I 

"  How,  then,  is  it,  when  men  have  desiredr  communica- 
tions from  higher  spirits,  such  as  the  apostles  and  others, 
and  spirits  have  desired  to  personate  them,  but  been  un 
able  to  withstand  the  tests  apphed  to  manifest  their  truth 
or  falsity  ?  The  pretended  apostles,  or  spirits  of  other 
distinguished  men,  were  really  the  spirits  of  lower  cir- 
cles, who,  finding  a  man,  or  a  medium,  actuated  by 
desires  of  notoriety,  have  acted  in  their  own  desire  to  be 
great  in  name,  and  famous  in  deeds,  and  assumed  such 
names  as  they  perceived  their  medium,  or  questioner,  de- 
sired to  have  declared  to  them ! 

"  But  how,  then,  can  we  know  what  spirit  converses 
with  us,  or  communicates  with  us  ?  By  being  passive, 
and  receiving  with  faith  what  is  given,  and  by  asking 
God  to  give  you  such  knowledge,  in  his  own  way,  and 
time,  and  manner.  This  is  every  man's  duty,  and  the 
communications  you  may  then  obtain  will  be  reliable,  and 
not  only  reliable,  but  if  you  act  upon  them,  and  follow 
the  course  you  are  then  directed  to  pursue,  you  wiU  be 
blessed  by  such  an  increase  of  knowledge  that  you  will 


154  A  TIIKEE-FOLD  TEST. 

find  you  need  not  ask  questions,  or  raise  objections,  or 
entertain  doubts." 

This  is  the  sum  of  the  whole  matter :  "  The  personating 
spirits  of  the  lower  circles,"  in  conjunction  with  media, 
as  in  the  instance  of  the  author,  "  actuated  by  desires  of 
notoriety,"  have  endeavored  to  impose  upon  mankind ! 
Where  is  the  proof  any  medium  can  give,  that  such  is 
not  the  fact  in  his  or  her  particular  case  ?  Just  none  at 
all,  by  the  evidence  of  the  last  answer  in  the  quotation, 
which  is  from  Christ  himself! 

Spiritualists  say  that  Paul  was  a' "seeing  medium." 
He  tells  us  that  the  Devil  is  "  the  prince  of  the  power  of 
the  air."  Dr.  Hare  says  that  the  sphere  of  had  spirits 
commences  some  sixty  miles  above  the  surface  of  the 
earth,  and  is  as  thick  as  all  the  other  spheres  put  together : 
a  very  significant  fact.  Christ  says  that  this  leader  of 
this  adverse  power,  for  the  purpose  of  deception,  can  per- 
sonate an  angel  of  light.  Of  course  we  must  suppose 
that  his  imps  can  do  the  same  thing,  otherwise  the  decep- 
tion would  have  no  adequate  means  of  succeeding.  IN'ow, 
in  view  of  these  conjoint  facts,  which  they  admit  as  com- 
ing through  true  media,  we  think  the  burden  of  proof  lies 
heavily  on  our  Spiritualists.  Our  assertion  is,  that  Spirit- 
ualism is  the  work  of  the  "  Devil  and  his  angels."  They 
must  prove  that  its  manifestations  are  above  the  powers 
of  these  beings.  A  denial  of  their  existence  is  a  begging 
of  the  question,  which  is  made  the  more  absurd  by  their 
admission  of  the  existence  of  evil  spirits.  We  contend 
that  the  low  intelligence,  the  fantastic  movements,  the 
"hifalutin,"  and  the  infamous  sentiments,  brought  out 
to  astonish  the  world,  are  precisely  in  keeping  with  the 
character  of  Satan,  and  their  occurrence  at  this  time  goes 
to  demonstrate  the  truth  of  the  Scriptures. 

We  trust  now  there  will  be  an  end  to  the  challenges 


WARNING.  155 

and  charges  respecting  the  pusillanimity,  bigotry,  and 
priestcraft  of  Christian  men,  who  have  forborne  until 
their  forbearance  is  scornfully  held  up  as  the  evidence  of 
cowardice.  Let  Spiritualists  meet  the  issue  we  have 
raised,  without  shirking.  Only  we  ask  them  not  to  abuse 
us,  for  this  is  not  quite  the  evidence  of  a  good  spirit. 

In  the  mean  time,  we  warn  all  persons  to  keep  away 
from  the  fascinating  influence  of  modern  necromancy. 
"We  have  explored  it,  for  the  purpose  of  trying  its  preten- 
sions, and  of  putting  enough  of  it  in  the  hands  of  aU  who 
AviU  read,  to  satisfy  them  of  its  nature,  operations,  ten- 
dency, and  end.  But  if  any  are  determined  to  test  the 
matter  further,  we  venture  to  say  they  will  always  suc- 
ceed in  getting  contradictions  and  lies  by  following  our 
plan.  This  certainly  would  not  be  the  case,  were  the  spirits 
good.  First,  ask  mental  questions  oifact.  To  these,  true 
answers  may  be  given.  Secondly,  ask  mental  questions 
oi  speculation,  on  such  subjects  as  spirits  must  Jcnow,  but 
always  varying  them,  as  has  been  done  in  the  preceding 
pages ;  and  the  confounding  of  the  mind  wiU  come,  instead 
of  the  comforting  information  of  which  such  high  assur- 
ances are  given.  This  wiU  prove  the  spirits  to  belong  to 
him  who,  the  apostle  says,  "  now  worketh  in  the  children 
of  disobedience." 


156  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 


CHAPTER  m. 

"  The  thing  that  hath  been,  is  that  which  shall  be ;  and  that  which  is  done,  is 
that  which  shall  be  done ;  and  there  is  no  new  thing  under  the  sun."— Ecc.  1 :  9. 

PARALLEL     MANIFESTATIONS     AMONG     THE     ANCLENl 
HEATHEN. 

Is  modern  Spiritualism  ancient  Heathenism?  —  A  list  of  modern  Media — 
A  list  of  ancient  Media  —  Spirit-messengers  —  Modern  and  ancient 
" Spirit oscope"  —  Female  and  male  Media  —  Ancient  Manifestations  the 
more  wonderful  —  Heathenism  revived  —  The  Big  Image  —  New  Light, 
old  Darkness. 

Otxb  first  chapter  contains  a  bare  sample  of  physical 
manifestations,  many,  various,  wondrous,  and  often  con- 
founding, which  are  said  to  prove  the  claims  of  modern 
Spiritualism.  Our  second  chapter  is  the  result  of  an 
earnest  inquiry,  pursued  under  the  direction  of  the  leaders 
of  this  movement.  The  details  led  us  to  think  of  the  am- 
biguities and  uncertainties  that  distressed  the  minds  of  the 
ancients,  whose  common  practice  it  was  to  consult  certain 
oracles,  reputed  for  spiritual  intercourse  among  the 
heathen. 

This  opened  a  wide  field  of  facts,  whence  parallelisms 
might  be  drawn,  to  show  that  the  old  heathen  arts  of  in- 
terrogating the  dead,  to  coax  out  of  them  the  secrets  of 
"  life  in  the  spheres,"  very  much  resemble  those  of  the 
present  movement,  which  are  practised  for  the  same  pur- 
pose.    This  irresistibly  brings  up  the  question :   Is  not 


CLASSES   OP   MEDIA.  157 

modem  Spiritualisnh  substantially  heathenism  revived? 
If  we  can  establish  the  affirmative,  by  a  short  process,  it 
will  at  once  settle  the  value  of  this  cause,  and  show  it  to 
be,  not  only  a  rejection  of  the  Gospel,  but  an  actual  return 
to  that  old  detestable  imposture  that  cursed  the  world 
for  ages. 

We  know  of  no  speedier  way  of  determining  this  mat- 
ter, than  by  a  comparison  of  mediumship,  by  which  the 
operations  of  both  systems  were  carried  on. 

We  have  the  following  hst  of  modern  media  furnished 
to  our  hand  by  the  author  of  an  "  Epitome  of  Spirit  Inter- 
course." 

"1.  Rapping  Tnediums.  —  If  conditions  are  favorable, 
raps  will  sometimes  be  heard  when  certain  persons  ap- 
proach tables,  etc.,  appearing  to  be  produced  by  some- 
thing invisible  striking  it. 

"  2.  Tipping  mediums. — In  similar  circumstances,  arti- 
cles of  furniture  are  tipped  or  carried,  raised  in  the  air, 
etc.,  sometimes  without  touching,  in  all  cases  without 
muscular  pressure. 

"3.  Writing  mediums. — Their  hands  are  controlled  by 
an  invisible  intelligence,  and  words  which  may  or  may 
not  correspond  with  the  ideas  of  the  medium,  written 
without  his  voHtion,  frequently  in  different  handwriting, 
sometimes  in  languages  he  does  not  know. 

"  4.  SpeaJcing  mediums  have  their  vocal  organs  con- 
trolled by  spirits. 

"  5.  Another  class  can  be  operated  on  in  various  bodily 
organs.     Musical  mediums  belong  to  this  class. 

"6.  Impressional  mediums. — Some  of  these  have  the 
words  as  well  as  the  ideas  presented  to  their  minds  by 
spirits — others  only  the  ideas — in  the  latter  case,  the 
mundane  and  strictly  spiritual  phenomena  intermix. 

"  7.  Drawing  mediums  differ  from  writing  mediums 
only  in  the  purpose,  not  in  the  nature  of  the  operation. 

"  8.  Seeing  mediums. — ^These  have  "  the  gift  of  discern- 
ing spirits." 

"  9.  Mediums  for  spiritual  dreams,  visions,  etc." 


158  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

Comparing  this  with  ancient  heathenism,  we  shall  find 
that  a  remarkable  similarity  exists. 

1.  Happing  mediums. — "Sometimes,  indeed,  an  in- 
visible and  incorporeal  spirit  surromids  the  recmnbents,  so 
as  not  to  be  perceived  by  the  sight,  but  by  a  certain  other 
consentation  and  intelUgence.  The  entrance  of  this  spirit, 
also,  is  accompanied  with  a  noise,  and  he  diffuses  himself 
on  aU  sides  without  contact."     {lamb.^  De  Myst) 

2.  Tipping  m^ediums, — "  The  inspiration  is  indicated  by 
the  motions  of  the  whole  body,  and  of  certain  parts  of  it, 
by  the  rest  of  the  body,  by  harmonious  orders  and  dances, 
and  by  elegant  sounds^  or  the  contraries  of  these ;  either 
the  body,  likewise,  is  seen  to  be  elevated,  or  increased  in 
bulk,  or  to  be  borne  along  sublimely  in  the  air^"*    (Idem.) 

An  instance  of  this,  it  will  be  remembered,  occurred  at 
Dr.  Gray's. 

3.  Writhig  mediums. — "  That  which  is  demoniacal  is 
of  a  ministrant  nature,  and  receives  whatever  the  gods 
may  announce,  promptly  employing  manual  operation,  as 
it  were,  in  things  which  the  gods  intellectually  perceive, 
wish,  and  command."     {Idem.) 

This  would  seem  to  refer  to  writing,  but  there  is  a  bet- 
ter proof  in  the  well-known  Sibylline  books,  which  long 
retained  their  authority  among  the  Romans.  Their  au- 
thors were  certain  ladies  of  secluded  habits,  who  gave 
responses  in  writing  to  those  who  consulted  them.  "The 
Sibyl  of  Cumse  is  said  to  have  written  in  Greek  verses 
the  collection  of  prophecies  famous  under  the  name  of 
Sibylline  boohs.''"'     {Am.  Euc) 

4.  SpeaMng  mediums.  —  "He  (divinity)  sometimes 
makes  some  stupid  man  (like  a  Poughkeepsie  seer)  to  speaJc 
wisely,  through  which  it  becomes  manifest  to  every  one, 
that  this  is  not  a  certain  human,  but  a  divine  work." 
{Iamb.,  De  3Iyst.) 


CLASSES   OP   MEDIA.  159 

"At  Corinth,  a  certain  Chaldean  stranger  is  just  now 
disturbing  the  whole  city  with  his  wonderful  replies  to 
questions  asked  him,  and  is  disclosing  the  secrets  of  the 
Fates  to  the  public  for  payment.^''  {Apuleius^  Met.^ 
lib.  ii.) 

Thus  one  of  our  own  travelling  media,  who  went  West 
in  the  beginning  of  this  year,  on  a  professional  tour,  told 
the  writer,  that  the  whole  bar  of  Cincinnati,  where  he 
had  been  performing,  had  become  converts  to  Spirito. 
alism ;  and  we  have  no  doubt  he  made  a  good  specu- 
lation, judging  from  the  charges  he  made  in  New- York. 

This  kind  of  mediumship  is  not  circumscribed  by  the 
natural  attainments  of  the  speaker,  but  is  remarkable  for 
utterances  in  aU  kinds  of  languages.  It  is  well  known, 
too,  that  some  of  our  media  speak,  as  the  Greeks  used  to 
say,  "  with  an  insane  mouth,"  giving  forth  vocal  sounds 
with  long-continued,  laboring  breath,  which  no  person  pre- 
sent could  comprehend.  Such  displays  of  the  divine  affla- 
tus may  be  what  they  profess  to  be,  foreign  tongues^  for 
nobody  can  disprove ;  but  in  this  particular,  the  ancient 
media  are  not  outdone. 

Herodotus  {Urania^  Vm.  l^b)  says:  "The  following, 
to  me  very  strange  circumstance,  is  related  by  the  Theban 
to  have  happened :  that  Mys,  of  Europus,  in  going  round 
to  all  the  oracles,  came  also  to  the  precinct  of  the  Ptoan 
Apollo ;  this  temple  is  called  Ptoan,  but  belongs  to  the 
Thebans,  and  is  situated  above  the  lake  Copais.  When  this 
man,  Mys,  arrived  at  the  temple,  three  citizens  chosen  by 
the  public,  accompanied  him  for  the  purpose  of  writing 
down  what  the  oracle  should  pronounce ;  and  forthwith 
the  priestess  gave  an  answer  in  a  foreign  tongue ;  and 
those  Thebans  who  accompanied  him  stood  amazed  at 
hearing  a  foreign  language  instead  of  Greek." 

"  When  the  people  of  Tralles  were  consulting  the  ma- 


160  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

gical  art,  as  to  what  would  be  the  result  of  the  Mithri- 
datic  war,  a  boy,  while  looking  on  the  reflection  of  a 
statue  of  Mercury  in  the  water,  uttered  a  prophecy  of  a 
hundred  and  sixty  lines,  setting  forth  what  was  about  to 
come  to  pass."     (Apideius^  Defense.) 

Many  instances  of  clairvoyance  might  be  quoted,  by 
which  money  and  other  valuables  lost,  have  been  traced, 
but  without  much  success. 

5.  Musical  mediums. — See  No.  2  above.  "  The  brazen 
statue  of  Memnon  had  the  wonderful  property  of  uttering 
a  melodious  sound  every  day  at  sun-rising ;  at  the  setting 
of  the  sun  and  in  the  night  the  sound  was  lugubrious. 
Strabo  confesses  himself  ignorant,  whether  the  sound  pro- 
ceeded from  the  basis  of  the  statue,  or  from  the  people 
that  surrounded  it."     {Lempriere.) 

6.  Impressional  mediums. —  "This  divine  possession 
also  emits  words  which  are  not  understood  by  those  that 
utter  them,  for  they  pronounce  them,  as  it  is  said,  with 
an  insane  mouth,  and  are  wholly  subservient,  and  entirely 
yield  themselves  to  the  energy  of  the  predominating 
god."     (Iamb.) 

7.  Seeing  mediums. — "This  (divination)  illuminates 
with  divine  light  the  ethereal  and  luciform  vehicle  with 
which  the  soul  is  surrounded,  from  which  divine  visions 
occupy  our  fantastic  power,  these  visions  being  excited 
by  the  will  of  the  gods."     {Idem) 

8.  Mediums  for  spiritual  dreams. — "  In  the  temple  of 
Esculapius,  diseases  are  healed  through  divine  dreams; 
and  through  the  order  of  nocturnal  appearances,  the  me- 
dical art  is  obtained  from  sacred  dreams."*^     {Idem.) 

9.  Sealing  mediums. — These  we  have  in  abundance, 
but  so  had  the  ancients.  "  To  Valerius  Aper,  a  blind 
soldier,  the  oracle  gave  response,  '  that  he  should  take 
the  blood  of  a  white  cock  and  honey,  and  rub  them  to- 


A   SPIRITUAL   PEESCRIPTION.  161 

gether,  and  therewith  anoint  his  eyes  three  days.'  And 
he  saw,  and  came,  and  returned  thanks."  (Gruteri  The- 
saurus.)* 

We  have  also  spiritual  prescriptions,  of  the  components 
of  which  we  are  ignorant ;  but  we  do  not  think  it  fair  to 
patent  medicines  given  by  good  spirits  for  the  maladies 
of  mankind.  A  more  liberal  and  enlightened  course  was 
pursued  by  Philippus  Aueeolus  Theophrastus  Bom- 
BASTus  DE  HoHENHEiM,  who  boastcd  of  an  intercourse 
with  spirits,  from  whom  he  professed  to  have  derived  the 
most  valuable  medicines.  Here  is  one  of  them,  quoted 
by  the  author  last  referred  to,  and  to  whom  we  are  much 
indebted  for  the  best  entertainment  we  have  ever  had  in 
"  apocatastatical"  reading. 

"  An  admirable  oyntmentfor  wounds. 

"  Take  of  Moss  that  groweth  upon  a  scull,  3  ii 

Of  man's  grease,  3  ii 

Of  Mummy,  and  man's  blood,  each,  3  ss 

Linseed  Oyl,  |  ii 

Oyl  of  roses  and  Bole-Armoniack,  each,  3  i 

"  Let  them  be  all  beat  together  in  a  morter  so  long,  un- 
til they  come  to  a  most  pure  and  subtil  oyntment ;  then 
keep  it  in  a  Box.  And  when  any  wound  happens,  dip  a 
stick  of  wood  in  the  blood  that  it  may  be  bloody  ;  which 
being  dyed,  thrust  it  quite  into  the  aforesaid  oyntment,  and 
leave  it  therein ;  afterwards  binde  up  the  wound  with  a 
new  Linen  Rowler  every  morning  washing  it,  *  *  * 
and  it  shall  be  healed,  be  it  never  so  great,  without  any 
Plaister  or  Paine.  After  this  manner  you  may  Cure  any 
one  that  is  wounded,  though  he  be  ten  miles  distant 
from  you,  if  you  have  but  his  blood.  It  helpeth  also  other 
griefs,  as  the  pain  in  the  teeth  and  other  hurts,  if  you  have 
a  stick  wet  in  the  blood,  and  thrust  into  the  oyntment  and 
there  left.  TTiese  are  the  wonderful  gifts  of  God^  given 
for  the  use  and  health  of  man."  {Paracelsis  of  Celestial 
Medicines.) 

*Apocat.,  p.  91. 


162  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

N'ow-a-days,  you  have  only  to  carry  a  lock  of  the  patient's 
own  hair  to  a  healing  medium,  and  she  will  prescribe^  no 
matter  whether  it  be  ten  or  twenty  miles  off.  The  cure  is 
another  matter. 

10.  Premanifesting  mediums. — By  these,  investiga- 
tions of  futurity  were  carried  on,  through  the  viscera  of  ani- 
mals. Our  modern  theurgists  have  not,  as  yet,  this  kind 
of  mediumship  developed  among  them. 

11.  Aquatic  mediums. — "It  is  acknowledged,  then,  by 
all  men,  that  the  oracle  in  Colophon  gives  its  answers 
through  the  medium  of  water. ''^  {Iambi.) 

12.  Enchanting  mediums.  —  "Sometimes,  also,  by 
musical  sounds  alone,  unaccomj^anied  with  words,  they 
healed  the  passions  of  the  soul,  and  certain  diseases, 
enchanting,  as  they  say,  in  reahty."  {lam.^  Life  of 
Pythag.) 

13.  Possessed  m^ediums. — Such  was  the  Pythoness  of 
Apollo,  into  whom  he  entered,  taking  control  of  her 
organs,  through  which  he  uttered  oracular  responses  in 
hexameter  verse.  We  have  some  few  media  of  this 
kind.  The  priest  at  Colophon,  though  ignorant  and  illit- 
erate, uttered  responses  to  the  mental  questions  of  those 
who  consulted  the  oracle.  This  is  the  universal  practice 
with  our  media.  Many  of  the  ancient,  as  weE  as  our 
own,  spohe  different  languages. 

It  will  now  be  seen,  that  the  ancient  almost  precisely 
resembled  the  modern  necromancy ;  but  they  had  a  great- 
er variety  of  media,  and  more  powerful  ones,  too,  who 
far  excelled  in  brilliancy  and  awfulness  of  effect.  But, 
considering  the  short  time  in  which  demons  have  been  at 
work,  no  man  can  deny  that  they  have  made  respectable 
progress  among  us,  and  bid  fair  to  give  horrible  signifi- 
cancy  to  that  old  apologetic  remark  :  "  Heathen  enough 
at  home." 


THE   SPIKITOSCOPE.  163 

This  agreement  between  the  ancient  and  modern  man- 
ifestations is  remarkably  minute.  Probably  Dr.  Hare, 
of  Philadelphia,  thinks  the  world  has  never  before 
heard  of  such  a  feat  as  his  familiar  spirit  performed,  on 
the  3d  of  July,  1855,  when  it  undertook,  at  one  o'clock, 
to  convey  from  the  Atlantic  Hotel,  Cape  May  Island,  a 
message  to  Mrs.  G.,  in  the  former  place,  on  business  of 
emergency,  and  return  an  answer  at  half-past  three,  the 
same  afternoon.  But  such  things  are  not  new.  Spirit 
dispatches  were  well  understood  in  old  times. 

"  Apion,  the  grammarian,  said  that  he  could  evoke  de- 
parted spirits  (umbras)  for  the  purpose  of  sending  them 
to  Homer,  to  inquire  in  what  country  and  of  what  parent- 
age he  was  born,  but  dared  not  to  make  known  the 
reply.  {Plin.  JVat.  Ilist.^  Hb.  xxx.  6.) 

We  regret  to  say  that  the  contrivance  of  the  "  Spirito- 
scope,"  the  honor  of  which  Dr.  Hare  takes  all  to  himself, 
does  not  seem  exactly  to  have  originated  from  his 
genius.  Some  heathen  gentlemen  in  Rome  hit  upon  a 
spirit  machiae  very  analogous  to  his,  and  as  spirits 
inform  us  that  they  infuse  thoughts  into  the  mind,  it  is 
probable  that  the  real  merit  of  the  Doctor  is  narrowed 
down  to  certain  inconsiderable  adaptations  required  by 
the  peculiarities  of  modern  development.  The  story  is 
this: 

"  Certain  poHtical  gentlemen,  in  the  time  of  the 
Emperor  Valens,  being  incautiously  curious  to  know  who 
was  to  be  the  next  emperor,  made  inquiry  of  the  spirits. 
Tne  Roman  police,  however,  who  managed  to  be  informed 
of  many  things  without  the  aid  of  the  spirits,  were  of 
opinion  that  they  were  asking  improper  questions, 
whereupon  the  inquisitive  gentlemen  suddenly  found 
themselves  arraigned  for  high  treason.  On  their  trial, 
one  of  the  operators  described  to  the  judges  the  machine 


164  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST, 

which  had  been  brought  into  court,  and  their  way  of  con- 
sulting the  spirits  by  it,  as  follows : 

" '  This  ill-omened  Uttle  tahle^  which  you  see  before 
you,  most  noble  judges,  we  constructed  of  laurel-twigs, 
with  unlucky  auspices,  so  as  to  resemble  in  form  the 
Delphic  tripod ;  and  having  consecrated  it,  with  mystic, 
chanted  imprecations,  and  with  much  and  long-contin- 
ued dancing  in  a  ring  about  it,  at  length  we  got  it  into 
operation.  The  method  of  working  it,  whenever  it  was 
consulted  concerning  hidden  things,  was  on  this  wise :  It 
was  placed  in  the  midst  of  an  apartment,  which  was  made 
pure  by  Arabian  odors,  a  circular  plate^  composed  of  dif- 
ferent metals,  being  simply  laid  upon  it,  upon  the  extreme 
margin  of  whose  circumference  were  skillfully  engraved 
the  sariptile  forms  of  the  twenty-four  Utters  of  the  alpha- 
bet^ separated  from  each  other  by  accurately-measured 
spaces.  Over  this,  robed  in  linen  vestments,  having  on 
his  feet  sandals  of  the  same  material,  the  torulus  wound 
about  his  head,  and  holding  in  his  hand  the  boughs  of  a 
tree  of  good  omen — ^the  spirit,  from  whom  the  prescient 
response  was  expected  having  been  propitiated  by 
appropriate  chants — stood  one  skilled  in  ritual  science, 
holding  suspended  a  small  ring  composed  of  finest  Capar- 
thian  thread,  and  wrought  with  mystic  rites,  which,  fall- 
ing at  regular  intervals  upon  single  letters,  composed 
heroic  verses  conformable  to  the  questions  asked,  and 
complete  in  mode  and  measure,  like  those  which  proceed 
from  tbe  Pythia,  or  from  the  oracle  at  Branchidse.' " 
{Ammdanus,  Ixxix.  29.)* 

By  comparing  the  foregoing  with  the  Doctor's  machiae, 
it  wiU  be  seen  that  a  "  disk,  having  the  alphabet  arranged" 
upon  the  extreme  margin,"  and  attached  to  a  table,  are 
the  main  objects  that  strike  the  eye  in  both.    And  since 

*Apocatastasi3,  pp.  "IS,  76. 


MEDIA  AND    MANIFESTATIONS.  165 

spirits  claim  the  authorship  of  our  thoughts,  is  not  this 
proof  that  the  same  spirit  that  suggested  this  happy 
thought  in  the  first  instance  reproduced  it  in  the  Doctor's 
braiQ?  Does  not  this  coincidence  circumstantially 
demonstrate  the  connection  and  common  origin  of  the 
ancient  and  the  modern  systems,  the  former  of  which  is 
now  commonly  known  by  the  name  oi paganism  f 

The  large  majority  of  our  media  are  females.  This, 
also,  was  true  ia  the  olden  days  of  Spiritualism.  lambli- 
chus  says :  "  Those  who  are  precedaneously  inspired  by 
the  mother  of  the  gods  are  women ;  but  the  males  that 
are  thus  iuspired  are  very  few  in  number,  and  such  as  are 
more  efieminate." 

The  old  manifestations  were  much  more  powerful  than 
they  are  now.  "  The  gods,  being  benevolent  and  propi- 
tious, impart  their  light  to  theurgists  in  unenvying  abun- 
dance, calling  upwards  their  souls  to  themselves,  procur- 
ing them  a  union  with  themselves,  and  accustoming  them, 
while  they  are  yet  in  the  hody^  to  be  separated  from 
bodies,  (this  is  glorious,  Judge,)  and  to  be  led  round  to 
their  eternal  and  intelligible  principle."  (Idem) 

"  Divine  beauty,  indeed,  shines  with  an  immense  splen- 
dor, as  it  were,  fixes  the  spectators  in  astonishment, 
imparts  a  divine  joy,  presents  itself  to  the  view  "vvith  inef- 
fable symmetry,  and  is  exempt  from  all  other  species  of 
pulchritude."  {Idem.) 

"  The  presence  of  the  gods  also  emits  a  light,  accom- 
panied with  intelligible  harmony,  and  exhibits  that  which 
is  not  body  as  body  to  the  eyes  of  the  soul,  through  those 
of  the  body."  (Idem.) 

"When  heroes  appear,  certain  parts  of  the  earth  are 
moved,  and  sounds  are  heard  around  them,  (probably 
raps.)  But  when  archons  are  present,  an  assemblage  of 
many  luminous  appearances  runs  round  them,  difficult  to 


166  A   THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

be  borne,  whether  these  appearances  are  mimdane  or 
terrestrial."     {Idem.) 

"  The  dreams  sent  from  God  take  place  either  when 
sleep  is  leaving  us,  and  we  are  beginning  to  awake,  (and 
then  we  hear  a  certain  voice,  which  concisely  tells  us  what 
is  to  be  done,)  or  voices  are  heard  by  us,  between  sleep- 
ing and  waking,  or  when  we  are  perfectly  awake."  (Idem.) 

"  Their  energies,  (of  the  media,)  likewise,  are  not  at  all 
human ;  for  inaccessible  places  become  accessible  to  those 
that  are  divinely  inspired.  They  are  thrown  into  fire, 
and  oner  7'ivers,  like  the  priest  in  Castabahs,  without  being 
injured!''''  (Idem.) 

"  As  Rufinus,  a  respectable  man,  once  came  to  Proclus, 
and  heard  him  teach,  he  perceived  a  flame  on  his  head 
during  his  expositions.  When  Proclus  had  ended,  Rufi- 
nus,  therefore,  ran  up  to  him,  and  adored  him  as  a  god ; 
and  by  his  prayers  and  conjurations,  he  could  even  bring 
rain,  appease  earthquakes,  etc.  lamblichus,  during  his 
prayers,  was  raised  ten  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
earth.  Maximus,  the  tutor  of  the  Emperor  Julian,  raised 
spirits  /"  (Nat.  and  Mor.  In  flu.  of  Heathenism^ 

These  manifestations  have  not  yet  been  equalled  in  our 
day,  but  then  we  have  not  as  many  media.  Fabricius 
counts  up  nearly  a  hundred  different  modes  of  divination 
among  the  heathen,  and  each  had  its  pecuhar  kind  of 
media ;  hence,  as  our  Spiritualists  think,  the  age  of  mod- 
ern development  is  yet  in  its  infancy. 

From  the  foregoing  comparison,  the  manifestations  and 
the  media  would  seem  to  make  out  our  modern  movement 
a  clear  case  of  heathenism  revived.  And  when  we  come  to 
consider  the  doctrines  taught,  hereinafter  specified,  it  will 
be  difiicult  to  escape  this  conclusion,  nothing  being  want- 
ing to  establish  identity  between  the  two  systems,  but 
images  and  a  ritual.    The  latter  seems  to  be  in  a  fair 


THE   BIG   IDOL.  16*7 

way  of  development,  from  the  incantations  of  the  circle ; 
but  the  failure  of  the  big  image  "  down  east,"  will  Hkely 
retard  development  for  a  while  in  the  former  particular. 

Some  account  of  this  big  image  may  not  be  uninterest- 
ing, as  it  will  not  only  make  manifest  the  tendency  of 
modern  Spiritualism,  but  demonstrate  the  fact,  that  there 
is  no  amount  of  blasphemy  or  absurdity  which  may  not 
receive  its  patronage. 

The  Rev,  John  M.  Spear,  a  quondam  TJniversalist,  now 
the  Boston  seer,  at  the  instigation  of  spirits,  persuaded 
the  Spiritualists  of  Boston  to  join  him  in  constructing  a 
large  image  in  the  shape  of  a  man,,  which  cost  some  two 
thousand  dollars.  This  was  to  be  the  grand  apparatus 
for  spiritual  communication,  erected  on  High  Rock,  Lynn, 
Mass.,  and,  mirabile  dictu !  as  the  following  quotation 
shows,  was  to  be  animated  by  a  soul  hr  ought  forth  by  a 
lady  medium ! ! ! 

We  quote  from  Mr.  Capron's  book,  pp.  220-224  : 

"  Among  some  of  the  hasty  conclusions  to  which  many 
of  the  over-zealous  friends  of  Spirituahsm  have  arrived, 
none  seem  to  me  to  present  a  stronger  case  than  that  of 
what  was  termed  the  '  new  motive  power.'  The  reader 
will  get  some  idea  of  its  origin  by  the  following  account 
which  appeared  in  the  Boston  New  Era,,  June  29th, 
1854.  The  story  is  certainly  a  very  singular  one,  and 
should  not  be  varied  from  the  way  it  was  originally  told. 
It  is  as  follows  : 

"  '  1.   It  was  aimounced  to  Mrs. ,  by  spiritual 

intelligence,  several  months  since,  that  she  would  become 
a  mother  in  some  new  sense ;  that  she  would  be  "  the 
Mary  of  a  new  dispensation."  The  announcement  was 
given  under  circumstances  the  most  impressive,  and  in 
connection  with  a  most  beautiful  and  instructive  vision, 
in  which  was  strikingly  elucidated  a  most  important 
spiritual  lesson,  namely,  the  true  significance  of  the  cross,, 
as  an  emblem  of  spiritual  advancement.    All  who  were 


168  A   THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

present  on  the  occasion  were  deeply  impressed  with  the 
superior  capacities  and  exalted  moral  attainments  of  the 
intelligences  commmiicating,  as  evidenced  by  the  pro- 
found and  comprehensive  character  of  their  teachings. 
Nevertheless,  the  prophecy  or  announcement  spoken  of, 
though  declared  with  marked  emphasis,  and  directed  to 
be  put  on  record,  was  not  believed  to  have  any  peculiar 
meaning.  It  was  thought  to  refer  possibly  to  the  ma- 
ternal feeling  which  she  had  felt  toward  individuals,  who 
had,  through  her  instrumentality,  been  instructed  in  the 
truths  of  the  new  philosophy.  Least  of  all  was  there  the 
sUghtest  hint  that  it  had  any  relation  whatever  to  the 
niechanism  then  constructing  at  High  Rock.  No  one 
connected  with  that  enterprise  was  present,  and  nothing 
was  known  of  this  declaration  by  them  until  it  was  re- 
called by  the  events  which  subsequently  transpired. 

" '  2.  Previously  to  this,  Mrs. had  for  some  time 

experienced  certain  sensations  and  agonies  similar  to 
those  attendant  upon  gestation.  Subsequently,  these  in- 
dications gradually  increased,  until  they  at  length  became 
very  marked  and  inexphcable,  and  presented  some  very 
singular  characteristics.  They  were  supposed,  however, 
to  be  at  least  partially  indicative  of  disease  ;  but  were  not 
imagined  to  have  the  remotest  connection  with  either  the 
mechanism  at  High  Rock,  or  with  the  prophecy  which 
has  been  alluded  to.  As  the  crisis  approached,  a  variety 
of  singular  events,  from  apparently  independent  causes, 
(which  can  not  be  narrated  here,)  seemed  to  point  to  some 
unusual  result,  though  all  failed  to  give  any  person  cog- 
nizant of  them  the  sUghtest  apprehension  of  the  nature  of 
that  result. 

"'3.  At  length  a  request  came,  through  the  instru- 
mentahty  of  J.  M.  Spear,  that  on  a  certain  day  she  would 
visit  the  tower  at  High  Rock.  No  one  in  the  flesh — ^her- 
self least  of  all — ^had  any  conception  of  the  object  of  this 
visit.  When  there,  however,  (suitable  preparations  hav- 
ing been  carefully  made  by  superior  direction,  though 
their  purpose  was  incomprehensible,)  she  began  to  expe- 
rience the  pecuhar  and  agonizing  sensations  of  parturition, 
differing  somewhat  from  the  ordinary  experience,  inas- 
much as  the  throes  were  internal^  and  of  the  spirit  rather 


THE   BIG   IDOL.  169 

than  of  the  physical  nature,  but  nevertheless  quite  as 
uncontrollable,  and  not  less  severe  than  those  pertaining 
to  the  latter.  This  extraordinary  physical  phenomenon 
continued  for  about  the  space  of  two  hours.  Its  purpose 
and  results  were  wholly  incomprehensible  to  all  but  her- 
self; but  her  own  perceptions  were  clear  and  distinct  that 
in  these  agonizing  throes  the  most  interior  and  refined 
elements  of  her  spiritual  being  were  imparted  to,  and 
absorbed  by,  the  appropriate  portions  of  the  mechanism 
— ^its  minerals  having  been  made  peculiarly  receptive  by 
previous  chemical  processes.  This  seemed  no  more  ab- 
surd or  unphilosophical  than  the  well-known  fact  that  a 
gold  ring,  or  any  other  article  worn  about  the  person, 
becomes  impregnated  to  a  degree  with  spiritual  emana- 
tions, or  that  the  elements  of  one's  being  can  be  and  are 
imparted  to  an  autograph  so  fully  that  the  character,  ca- 
pacities, etc.,  may  be  psychometrized  therefrom. 

"  '  4.  The  result  of  this  phenomenon  was,  that  indica- 
tions of  life  or  pulsation  became  apparent  in  the  mechan- 
ism ;  first  to  her  own  keenly  sensitive  touch,  and  soon 
after  to  the  eyes  of  aU  beholders.  These  pulsations  con- 
tinued to  increase,  under  a  process,  which  she  was  im- 
pelled to  continue  for  some  weeks,  precisely  analogous  to 
that  of  nursing,  (for  which  preparation  had  previously 
been  made  in  her  own  organization,  while  she  was  in 
utter  ignorance  of  any  such  design,)  xmtil  at  times  a  very 
marked  and  surprising  motion  resulted. 

" '  5.  At  every  step  in  these  singular  transactions,  Mrs. 

has  been  attended  by  angelic  intelligences,  (whose 

presence  is  perceived  by  her  own  interior  senses,)  who 
have  from  time  to  time  explained  the  rationale  of  their 
proceedings  and  of  her  experiences,  and  unfolded,  in 
various  departments  of  science,  philosophy,  and  morals, 
principles  and  truths  of  the  highest  practicaf  moment  to 
us  and  to  mankind.  These  teachings  have  been,  to  a 
great  extent,  based  upon,  and  elucidated  by,  the  various 
experiences  connected  with  that  mechanism ;  and  they 
have  been  not  only  profound  and  comprehensive,  intel- 
lectually considered,  but  of  the  highest,  purest,  and  most 
elevating  moral  and  spiritual  character.  That  these  in- 
telligences have  infused  into  her  spirit  a  most  beautiful. 


170  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

hai-monizing,  celestial  influence,  has  been  perceived  by  all 
who  have  enjoyed  communication  with  her,  and  none  of 
these,  I  feel  assured,  will  hesitate  to  endorse  the  admis- 
sion that  "  she  gets  a  large  influx  of  superior,  saving, 
harmonizing  truths." 

"  '  In  order  to  a  proper  estimate  of  the  peculiar  expe- 
riences thus  described,  a  large  class  of  correlative  physio- 
logical and  psychological  facts,  which  can  not  be  even 
hinted  at  here,  need  to  be  considered  by  the  candid 
investigator ;  but  the  foregoing  statements  are  believed 
to  embrace  what  is  sufficient  for  the  present  purpose, 
namely,  the  correction  of  erroneous  statements  which 
have  gone  abroad. 

"  '  With  two  or  three  remarks  I  conclude. 

'"1.  As  these  experiences  were  wholly  unexpected,  and 
unimagined  by  the  subject  of  them,  until  they  actually 
transpired,  they  could  not  have  been  "  psychologically 
produced."  Her  mind  did  not  act,  either  in  conjunction 
with  other  minds  or  independent  of  them,  to  bring  about 
•these  results.     Theories  must  conform  to  facts. 

" '  2.  These  experiences  were  not  moulded  into  the 
peculiar  form  they  took,  by  any  previous  religious  or  the- 
ological impressions.  Because,  first,  no  impressions  of 
this  peculiar  character  had  ever  existed ;  and  whatever 
notions  had  once  been  entertained  of  the  miraculous  con- 
ception of  Jesus,  had  long  ago  given  place  to  more  philo- 
sophical conclusions.  Secondly,  no  idea  of  such  results 
had  ever  been  formed  in  the  mind,  and  hence  there  exist- 
ed nothing  which  could  mould  these  results. 

"  '  3.  As  "  corrupt  trees  do  not  bring  forth  good  fruit," 
nor  ^'the  same  fountain  send  forth  bitter  waters  and 
sweet,"  jt  is  difficult  to  believe  that  an  "  influx  of  superior, 
saving,  harmonizing  truths"  will  flow  from  delusive  or 
deceptive  sources. 

"  *  4.  Neither  Mrs. nor  myself  can  profess  to 

have,  as  yet,  any  definite  conception  as  to  what  this  "  new- 
born child,"  the  so-called  "  Electrical  Motor,"  is  to  be. 
However  "  enthusiastic"  or  "extravagant"  may  be  the  ex- 
pectations of  others,  we  do  not  know  that  we  yet  at  all 
comprehend  the  ultimate  designs  of  the  intelligences  en- 
gaged in  it.    Time  "will  probably  solve  that  matter,  and 


THE  BIG   IDOL.  l*/! 

we  willingly  abide  the  decision.  But  the  iacalculable 
benefits  wMch  have  already  accrued  to  us  in.  the  unfold- 
ings  of  the  interior  principles  of  physical  and  human 
science,  and  in  leading  to  higher  and  purer  moral  and 
spiritual  attainments,  have  overwhelmingly  compensated 
for  all  that  it  has  cost  us,  whether  in  means  or  reputa- 
tion ;  and  this  consideration  forces  upon  our  minds  and 
hearts  a  conviction  of  the  probability,  at  least,  that  still 
further  benefit  may  be  reahzed  from  the  same  source. 

" '  Whatever  may  be  the  result,  therefore,  my  position 
is  such  that  neither  disappoiutments  nor  regrets  may 

ensue ;   and  the  friends  of  Mrs. may  be  assured 

that  her  convictions  of  duty  rest  upon  a  basis  which 
neither  the  opinions  nor  the  ridicule  of  the  uninformed 
can  afiect,  while  her  spirit  is  serenely  sustained  against 
the  shafts  of  calumny  and  detraction.' 

"  Comment  on  the  subject  is  hardly  necessary.  Quite 
a  number  of  persons,  of  great  intelligence,  candor,  and 
unimpeachable  character,  fully  believed  in  this  second 
edition  of  the  miraculous  conception  and  birth,  and  the 
most  unbounded  enthusiasm  was  manifested  by  many. 
It  was  denomiaated  '  The  New  Motive  Power,  Physical 
Saviour,  Heaven's  Last  Best  Gift  to  Man,  New  Creation, 
The  Great  Spiritual  Revelation  of  the  Age,  The  Philoso- 
pher's Stone,  the  Art  of  all  Arts,  The  Science  of  all  Sci- 
ences,' and  various  other  extravagant  epithets  were  ap- 
plied to  this  wonderful  new  birth.  Like  many  other 
productions  of  persons  whose  zeal  outstrips  their  know- 
ledge, the  new-born  miracle  was  not  quite  practical 
enough  to  suit  this  utilitarian  age.  Notwithstanding  the 
labor  and  pains  of  parturition  at  and  before  its  birth,  a 
slight  defect  was  discoverable.  The  new  motor  would 
not  move  to  any  purpose  !  This  was  the  only  drawback 
on  its  great  benefits  to  mankind. 

"  The  machiae  itself  was  constructed  at  High  Rock, 
Lynn,  Mass. ;  but  several  of  the  prominent  accoucheurs 
were  residents  of  Boston,  and  the  record  is  entitled  to  a 
place  in  the  Boston  chapter." 

We  hesitated  some  time  about  the  propriety  of  record- 
ing this  hon'ible  relation  of  facts,  but  as  we  are  writing  for 


1V2  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

those  who  yet  have  all  their  wits  about  them,  and.,  for 
those  who  may  not  have  advanced  so  far  in  the  delusion 
as  to  be  beyond  recall,  we  here  put  it  down  as  the  trans- 
parency which  our  Spiritualists  themselves  have  placed 
over  the  door  of  their  system,  indicative  of  its  essential 
heathenism,  and  damnable  design. 
The  conclusion,  then,  to  which  we  come,  is  this  i 

OUR  NEW  LIGHT  IS   OLD   DARKISIESS. 

From  the  early  period  when  Jannes  and  Jambres  op- 
posed Moses  down  to  the  era  of  Christianity,  and  thence 
to  the  present  time,  in  the  dark  domain  of  heathenism, 
necromancy  in  its  various  forms  has  everywhere  prevail- 
ed. Superstition  and  spiritual  delusion  have  benighted 
and  besotted  the  souls  of  men.  All  this  is  the  legitimate 
growth  of  guilt  and  the  running  commentary  upon  human 
depravity. 

By  the  contrast  we  have  drawn,  it  wiU  be  seen  that 
there  is  a  family  likeness  between  the  pretensions  and  the 
employments  of  ancient  and  modern  media,  sufficiently 
exact  to  establish  an  identity  between  heathenism  and 
modem  Spiritualism.  This  will  be  more  evident  in  a  sub- 
sequent chapter,  in  which  we  shall  show,  that  the  doc- 
trines taught  in  the  publications  of  our  Spiritualists,  are 
heathenish  in  their  nature,  antichristian  in  their  form, 
and  soul-destroying  in  their  tendency. 

Therefore  it  follows  that  the  Devil  and  his  angels  are 
the  primary  agencies  in  the  work  of  modern  Spiritualism, 
whose  avowed  purpose  is  the  destruction  of  the  Church 
and  of  "  popular  theology."  This,  we  think,  must  be  ad- 
mitted by  every  believer  in  the  Bible,  because  it  is  just 
such  a  work  as  the  Devil  would  do — we  can  not  think  of 
any  thiag  else  he  would  so  readUy  aim  to  accomplish. 
Every  Christian  must  grant  this,  and  this  being  granted. 


THE  PEIMARY  AGENTS.  173 

we  do  not  see  how  it  can  be  denied,  that  in  these  last 
days,  "  seducing  spirits"  are  now  actually  doing,  by 
means  of  modern  Spiritualism,  the  very  thing  that  proves 
our  position  true.  We  think  we  can  take  all  arguments 
brought  against  it,  and  show  logically  that  those  who  play 
them  off,  do  not  beheve  in  any,  spiritual  agency  whatever 
brought  to  bear  upon  the  minds  of  men,  from  above  or 
from  beneath. 


^ 


174  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 


CHAPTER  lY. 

«'  The  devil,  as  a  roaring  lion,  walketh  about,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour." 
—1  Pet.  5 :  8. 

DEMONOLOGY. 

First  Inquiry— lamblichus — Apuleius— Second  Inquiry — Josephus— Justin 
Martyr— Origen—Lardner— A  Canon  of  Criticism— New  Testament  Use 
oi  Demon — Pythian  Apollo— A  non  sequitur- Christ's  Use  of  the  Word 
Demon— Possession  a  literal  Fact — An  Objection— How  the  Fathers  un- 
derstood it— Another  Objection— The  Alternative. 

There  is  no  subject  in  the  Scriptures  beset  with  greater  . 
difficulties  than  that  of  demoniacal  possession.  There  is 
no  mere  question  of  fact,  which  has  more  severely  taxed 
the  mind  of  the  expositor,  or  has  elicited  more  earnest 
discussion.  A  long  array  of  arguments  is  presented  on 
each  side  of  the  question  — ^Were  those  unfortunate  per- 
sons called  demoniacs  in  the  New  Testament,  actually 
possessed  and  inhabited  by  spirits  called  demons  f  Were 
the  souls  of  such  thus  demonized,  actually  subverted, 
beaten  down,  oppressed,  and  fettered  by  evil  spirits  en- 
tering into  the  human  body,  and  using  its  organism  for 
their  own  wicked  purposes  ? 

The  writer  has  heretofore  thought  that  the  "balance  of 
argument  was  in  favor  of  the  negative ;  his  reason  has 
been  already  given.  But  he  has  been  induced  to  change 
his  opinion  by  a  more  diligent  scrutiay  of  the  facts  con- 
nected with  the  demonism  of  the  New  Testament,  by 


WHAT   A   DEMON   IS.  1*75 

some  of  the  phenomena  of  modern  Spiritualism,  and  by- 
others,  observed  and  described  by  competent  and  truth- 
ful witnesses,  that  have  occurred  in  more  modern  times, 
among  heathen  nations  as  well  as  Christian. 

A  brief  discussion  of  Demonology  may  not  be  out  of 
place  in  this  volume,  since  the  great  feature  of  modern 
Spiritualism  is  an  alleged  intercourse  with  the  spirits  of 
the  dead. 

I.  "What  is  meant  by  a  demon?  We  must  answer 
this  by  showing  what  the  heathen  understood  by  that 
term,  and  what  is  the  inference  to  be  drawn  from  its 
Kew  Testament  use. 

lamblichus  on  the  Mysteries,  informs  us,  that  "  He  who 
directs  his  attention  to  the  analogous  sameness  which 
exists  in  superior  natures,  as,  for  instance,  in  the  many 
genera  of  the  gods,  and  again  in  demons  and  heroes,  and, 
in  the  last  place,  in  souls,  will  be  able  to  define  their 
peculiarities." 

He  says,  that  the  "  good  itself'*  is  the  "  illustrious  pecu- 
liarity of  the  gods ;"  that  "  in  souls,  essential  good  is  not 
present ;"  "  but  the  other  medium,  which  is  suspended 
from  the  gods,  though  it  is  far  inferior  to  them,  is  that 
of  demons."  "  These  middle  genera  give  completion  to 
the  common  bond  of  the  gods  and  souls,  and  cause  the 
connection  of  them  to  be  indissoluble."  "  Demons  exist 
prior  to  souls  and  to  the  powers  which  are  distributed 
about  bodies."  He  admits  that  there  is  "  a  certain  genus 
of  demons,  which  is  naturally  fraudulent,  omniform, 
and  various,  and  which  assumes  the  appearance  of  gods, 
and  demons,  (good  ones,)  and  the  souls  of  the  deceased.''^ 

lamblichus  therefore  makes  a  distinction  between 
demons  and  the  souls  of  the  dead,  which  other  great 
men  of  heathen  lore  do  not  seem  to  recognize.  He 
teaches  that  evil  demons  assume  the  appearance  of  the 


176  A  THBEE-FOLD   TEST. 

souls  of  the  deceased.  This  is  really  an  embarrassing  cir- 
cumstance, and  as  there  is  no  sufficient  means  within 
their  power  of  detecting  these  impostors,  our  Spiritualists, 
after  all,  may  be  made  the  game  of  devils ! 

Apuleius,  de  Deo  Socratis,  says :  "  There  are  certain 
divine  powers  of  a  middle  nature,  situate  in  this  interval 
of  the  air,  between  the  highest  ether  and  the  earth  below, 
through  whom  our  aspirations  and  our  deserts  are  con- 
veyed to  the  gods.  These  the  Greeks  call  by  name  '  de- 
mons,' and  being  placed  as  messengers  between  the  in- 
habitants of  earth  and  those  of  heaven,  they  carry  from 
the  one  to  the  other,  prayers  and  bounties,  supplications 
and  assistance,  being  a  kind  of  interpreters  and  message- 
carriers  for  both.  Through  these  same  demons,  as  Plato 
says  in  his  Symposium^  all  revelations,  the  various  mira- 
cles of  magicians,  and  all  kinds  of  presages,  are  carried 
on." 

"  Demons  are  intermediate  between  us  and  the  gods, 
both  in  the  place  of  their  habitation,  and  in  their  nature. 
...  To  embrace  the  nature  of  them  in  a  definition, 
demons  are,  as  to  genus,  animated  beings ;  as  to  mind, 
rational ;  as  to  feeUngs,  passive ;  as  to  body,  aerial ;  as  to 
duration,  eternal."     {Idem) 

"  There  is  also  another  species  of  demons,  namely  the 
human  soul,  after  it  has  performed  its  duties  in  the 
present  life,  and  quitted  the  body:  I  find  that  this 
is  called  in  the  ancient  Latin  language  by  the  name  of 
Lemur.  Now  of  these  Lemures,  the  one  who,  under- 
taking the  guardianship  of  his  posterity,  dwells  in  a  house 
with  propitious  and  tranquil  influence,  is  called  %]iq  fami- 
liar Lar.  But  those  who,  having  no  fixed  habitation  of 
their  own,  are  punished  with  vague  wandering,  as  with  a 
kind  of  exile,  on  account  of  the  evil  deeds  of  their  life, 
are  usually  called  Larvm^  thus  becoming  a  vain  terror  to 


^  WHAT  A  DEMON  IS.  Ill 

the  good,  but  a  source  of  pimishment  to  the  bad.  But 
where  it  is  uncertain  what  is  the  allotted  condition  of  any- 
one of  these,  and  whether  it  is  Lar,  or  Larva,  it  is  called 
a  god  Manes ;  the  name  of  god  being  added  for  the  sake 
of  honor.  For  those  only  are  called  gods,  who,  being  of 
the  number  of  the  Lemures,  and  having  regulated  the 
course  of  their  life  justly  and  prudently,  have  afterwards 
been  celebrated  by  men  as  divinities,  and  are  universally 
worshipped  with  temples  and  religious  rites ;  such,  for  in- 
stance, as  Amphiaraus  in  Boeotia,  Mopsus  ia  Africa, 
Osiris  in  Egypt,  and  others  in  other  nations,  but  Escula- 
pius  everywhere.  All  this  distribution,  however,  has 
been  made  of  those  demons  who  once  existed  in  a  human 
body." 

"  But  there  is  another  species  of  demons,  more  exalt- 
ed and  august,  not  fewer  in  number,  but  far  superior  in 
dignity,  who,  being  for  ever  liberated  from  the  bonds  and 
conjunction  of  the  body,  preside  over  certain  powers. 
.  .  .  From  this  more  elevated  order  of  demons,  Plato  is 
of  opinion  that  a  peculiar  demon  is  allotted  to  every  man, 
to  be  a  witness  and  a  guardian  of  his  conduct  in  life, 
who,  without  being  visible  to  any  one,  is  always  present, 
and  is  an  overseer  not  only  of  his  actions  but  of  his 
thoughts."     (Idem.) 

Multiplied  quotations  are  needless,  for  the  above  is 
from  the  highest  authority  among  heathen  writers. 

It  will  be  seen  that  there  were  acknowledged  to  be 
two  kinds  of  demons.  The  last,  mentioned  by  Apuleius, 
were  intermediate  beings  between  the  gods  and  men ; 
the  "  middle  genera"  of  lamblichus.  The  Jirst,  or  the 
souls  of  the  dead,  were  called  Xemures,  which  were  divid- 
ed into  two  classes,  namely,  the  Lares,  or  household  gods, 
who  were  supposed  to  be  guardian  spirits,  and  good 
8* 


178  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST.  , 

demons ;  and  Larvoe^  or  evil  spirits,  who  were  a  source  of 
punishment  to  the  bad. 

Farmer  quotes  Crito,  to  prove  that  the  Larvati  were 
demoniacs  possessed  by  the  larvce^  or  evil  spirits,  of  bad 
men — the  human  ghosts  of  such  as  had  Hved  profligate 
lives  upon  the  earth. 

n.  Were  the  demoniacs  actually  possessed  ?  and  if  so, 
were  they  possessed  by  the  spirits  of  dead  men  ? 

At  the  time  of  Christ,  this  was  no  doubt  the  prevailing 
opinion.  Josephus  says:  "Demons  are  no  other  than 
the  spirits  of  the  wicked,  that  enter  into  men  and  kill 
them,  unless  they  can  obtain  some  help  against  them." 
Philo  says  that  "the  souls  of  dead  men  are  called 
demons." 

Justin  Martyr,  who  flourished  about  the  middle  of  the 
second  century,  speaks  of  those  who  were  seized  and 
tormented  by  the  souls  of  the  dead,  whom  all  call  demoniacs 
and  madmen  ? 

Origen  says,  of  the  heathen  oracles :  "  Though  they 
may  be  for  the  most  part  true,  it  does  not  necessarily  follow 
that  any  deity  presides  in  them,  but  rather  evil  demons 
and  spirits  inimical  to  the  human  race" — "  demons  the 
whole  tribe  of  whom  are  vicious."  ( Contra  Celsum^  lib. 
viii.) 

Thus  Pagan,  Jewish,  and  Christian  authorities  prove, 
not  only  that  the  common  opinion  was  that  men  were 
possessed,  but  that  it  everywhere  prevailed,  assigning  this 
demoniacal  tyranny  to  the  souls  of  the  wicked  dead.  "  The 
notion  of  demons,"  says  Lardner,  vol.  viii.,  p.  368,  "or 
the  souls  of  dead  men  having  the  power  over  living  men, 
was  universally  prevalent  among  the  heathens,  and  was 
believed  by  many  Christians,"  such  as  Justin,  Irenaeus, 
Origen,  and  others. 

Now  it  is  a  canon  of  criticism  well  understood,  and 


WHAT   A   DEMON   IS.  179 

evidently  correct:  Every  word  whose  meaning  is  well 
established  in  any  age^  when  used  by  any  writer  of  that 
age^  and  not  defined  by  him^  must  be  taken  in  its  com- 
monly received  Ojcceptation  by  the  age  in  which  that 
writer  lived. 

This  rule  obliges  us  to  believe  that  Christ  admitted  as 
a  fact,  that  men  were  possessed  by  demons;  but  it  ^oes 

,  not  oblige  us  to  believe  that  he  considered  these  demons 
the  souls  of  the  dead ;  because  the  word  demon  was 
used  to  embrace,  besides  these,  those  personifying  spirits, 

-  "  naturally  fraudulent,  omniform,  and  various,"  of  which 
lamblichus  makes  mention. 

The  word  demon  is  never  used  by  Christ  in  a  good 
sense,  nor  by  his  apostles,  nor  by  any  historical  writer  of 
the  New  Testament,  unless  it  be  in  the  way  of  narrative, 
as  in  Acts  17:18.  Whatever  weight  may  be  assigned  to 
the  argument,  that  Christ,  from  motives  of  prudence, 
abstained  from  attacking  in  public,  the  common  notion 
about  demons,  it  can  not  be  pretended  that  this  could 
influence  him  in  his  private  instructions  to  his  disciples. 
In  Mat.  17,  we  are  told  that  "Jesus  rebuked  the  demon^"* 
after  his  disciples  had  failed  to  expel  him.  "  Then  came 
the  disciples  to  Jesus,  apart^  and  said ;  Why  could  we  not 
cast  him  out  ?  And  he  said  imto  them.  Because  of 
your  unbelief;  howbeit  this  kind  goeth  not  out  but  by 
prayer  and  fasting." 

Here  it  is  very  evident  that  Christ  volunteers  a  piece 
of  instruction  relating  to  actual  possession  by  demons,  to 
his  disciples  in  private,  after  he  had  answered  their  ques- 
tion. Would  he,  whose  object  it  was  to  teach  them  all 
truth,  by  private  instruction,  confirm  them  in  a  popular 
error,  if  actual  possession  was  such  ?  They  had  fully  im- 
bibed the  common  belief  respecting  the  power  of  demon- 
izing  spirits  over  the  souls  of  certam  men  ;  they  had  heard 


180  A   THKEE-FOLD   TEST. 

their  Master  address  the  demons  in  their  own  person- 
ality ;  and  when  accused  by  the  Pharisees  of  expelling 
demons  by  the  aid  of  the  Devil,  their  prince,  they  heard 
him  expose  their  sophistry,  by  showing  that  the  Devil 
could  not  be  thought  so  foolish  as  to  promote  discord  in 
his  own  kingdom ;  and  hence  the  known  reality  of  the 
Devil  would  lead  them  to  suppose  Christ  admitted  also 
the  reality  of  his  demons,  and  of  their  influence,  which 
was  the  subject  of  discussion.  When  we  add  to  this  the 
matter  of  his  private  instruction,  the  argument  for  actual 
possessions  seems  to  be  a  very  unmanageable  one,  pro- 
vided it  can  not  be  shown  to  involve  an  essential  ab- 
surdity. 

That  it  involves  no  absurdity,  is  evident  from  the  case 
mentioned  in  Acts :  "  It  came  to  pass,  that  as  we  went 
to  prayer,  a  certain  damsel,  possessed  with  a  spirit  of 
divination,  met  us.  The  same  followed  Paul  and  us,  and 
cried,  saying,  These  men  are  servants  of  the  Most  High 
God,  which  show  unto  us  the  way  of  salvation.  Paul, 
being  grieved,  turned  and  said  unto  the  spirit,  I  com- 
mand thee,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  come  out  of 
her,  and  he  came  out  the  same  hour." 

The  original  is,  "  a  spirit  of  Pythian  Apollo."  That 
there  is  no  such  a  being  as  Apollo  every  one  admits ;  but 
because  this  heathen  divinity  was  reputed  to  utter  oracles 
by  the  frenzied  priestess  at  Delphi,  every  "  clairvoyant^'* 
was  said  to  be  possessed  by  his  spirit.  This  circumstance, 
by  itself,  does  not  prove  her  to  have  been  a  demoniac,  but 
the  facts  that  Paul  commanded  the  spirit  to  come  out, 
and  that  the  spirit  obeyed,  as  in  all  cases  of  dispos- 
session by  Christ,  clearly  shows  that  she  was  really  a 
demoniac.  Nothing  is  said  of  any  disease,  or  of  any 
violent  conduct  attending  her.  She  was  a  travelling 
medium,  the  slave  of  certain  men  who  made  money  by 


A  TRAVELLING  MEDIUM.  ISl 

the  imposture.  There  was  a  "prophesying  demon''''  m 
her,  and  Paul  set  her  free  from  him.  K  this  be  not  so, 
how  came  he  to  use  the  same  formula  of  exorcism  that 
was  used  in  those  cases  where  the  word  demon  occurs  ? 
This  is,  beyond  doubt,  as  clear  a  case  of  actual  possession 
as  any  other  mentioned  m  the  sacred  narrative. 
^  This  fact  is  conceded,  and  also  urged  to  prove  that,  as 
she  was  simply  insane,  so  aU  other  instances  of  casting  out 
demons  were  nothing  more  than  curing  diseases.  Sup- 
posing this  to  be  the  case,  what  shall  we  do  with  that 
instance,  where  Jesus  rebuked  the  evil  spirit  (disease)  who 
had  uttered  his  name ;  and  where  it  is  said  "he  (the  disease) 
came  out  of  him  and  hurt  him  not"?  This,  surely,  is  a 
very  extraordinary  remark.  Is  it  a  marvellous  thing  that 
a  man  should  not  be  hurt  by  being  cured?  Such  a  re- 
mark, supposing  nothing  more  intended  than  restora- 
tion to  health,  is  an  unfortunate  one  for  the  doctrine  of 
inspiration,  and  therefore  refutes  itself. 

But  there  is  another  case  worth  our  notice,  in  the  con- 
sideration of  this  subject.  Our  Lord  cast  a  demon  out  of 
a  person  afflicted  also  with  disease,  and  "  the  spirit  cried 
out  and  rent  him  sore,  and  came  out  of  him,  and  he  was 
as  one  dead,  insomuch  that  many  said  he  was  dead."  If 
the  term  spirit  here  means  a  literal  demon  with  which 
he  was  possessed,  there  is  no  difficulty.  K  not,  it  must 
mean  either  a  disease  or  his  own  soul.  In  either  case,  the 
passage  is  bereft  of  sense.  The  disease  cried  out,  or  the 
man  came  out  of  himself! 

Farmer  makes  use  of  this  argument :  "  The  sacred 
writers  having  given  us  no  notice  of  their  using  the  word 
demon  in  a  new  or  peculiar  sense,  did  certainly  employ  it 
in  reference  to  possessions,  in  the  same  sense  which  others 
did,"  and  hence  he  argues,  as  Christ  and  his  apostles 
neither  believed  in  the  gods  of  the  heathen,  nor  in  the 


182  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

transmigration  of  a  soul  or  spirit  from  one  body  to  an- 
other, they  could  have  meant  only  the  removal  of  disor- 
ders popularly  attributed  to  demons.  But  this  is  a  non 
sequitur.  The  argument,  when  fairly  stated,  is  this  :  Pa- 
gans, Jews,  and  the  early  Christians  used  the  term  demons 
to  mean  pagan  gods  or  the  souls  of  the  dead.  Christ  and 
the  apostles  did  not  use  the  term  in  any  new  sense,  ther.e- 
fore  they  used  it  to  signify  pagan  gods  or  human  souls ! 
The  falsity  of  the  logical  inference  shows  that  the  premises 
are  wrong. 

We  have  shown  that  the  term  demon  meant  also  evil 
spirits  superior  to  mankind,  and  who  never  inhabited 
human  bodies,  and  as  Christ  did  not  believe  in  their  gods 
or  their  transmigrations  of  souls,  he  must  have  meant 
these  evil_spirits,  for  the  word  demon  he  never  used  in  a 
good  sense.  Among  the  heathen  it  was  understood  that 
there  were  both  good  and  bad  demons,  and  were  it 
simply  said  in  the  New  Testament  that  demoniacs  were 
possessed  with  demons,  we  could  not  then  absolutely  say 
they  were  under  bad  influences,  because  the  nature  of  the 
spirits  would  have  been  undetermined,  although  their 
being  cast  out  would  argue  badly  for  their  character. 
But  we  are  not  left  in  any  doubt  here  :  they  were  called 
evil  spirits  and  unclean  spirits,  and  their  work  proved 
them  such,  therefore  Christ  and  the  apostles  treated  them 
as  such.  When  a  person  is  said  to  be  demonized  in  the 
Scripture,  the  derangement  of  mind  and  body  as  the  ef- 
fect, proceeding  from  a  demon  as  the  proximate  cause,  is 
intended ;  and  in  every  case  the  common  use  of  the  term 
allowed  our  Saviour  to  understand  an  evil  spirit^  an  evil 
angel^  without  formally  stating  the  meaning  he  attached 
to  it,  or  specifying  the  exact  sense  in  which  he  under- 
stood it. 

We  therefore  believe  that  demoniacal  possessions  were 


N.  T.  USE  OF  DEMON.  183 

literal  facts,  originated  by  the  Devil  remotely,  and  by  bis 
angels  or  demons  immediately,  and  although  the  argu- 
ments against  this  position  are  very  plausible,  we  do  not 
think  they  can  be  so  presented  or  pressed  as  to  over- 
turn it. 

An  objection  to  this  view  has  been  raised,  on  the  ground 
that  there  never  have  been  such  possessions  by  demons 
before  or  since  the  time  of  Christ,  or  anywhere  but  in 
the  land  of  Judea.  We  do  not  think  that  such  is  the 
fact.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  clear  that  possessions  existed 
long  before  his  time  by  the  testimony  of  Josephus,  for  the 
Jews  had  a  class  among  them  known  as  exorcists,  whose 
profession  it  was  to  cast  out  demons ;  and  that  the  pos- 
sessions of  our  Saviour's  time  were  not  different  from 
those  that  previously  existed,  is  proved  by  his  argumen- 
tum  ad  hominem,  which  reduced  his  enemies  to  silence, 
when  they  accused  him  of  deriving  his  power  in  this  par- 
ticular from  the  prince  of  the  demons.  And  that  these 
phenomena  existed  beyond  the  limits  of  the  sphere  of  his 
labors,  and  also  after  he  left  it,  is  proved  by  the  relation 
in  Acts,  of  certain  vagabond  Jews,  who  attempted  to  expel 
demons,  or  evil  spirits,  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  in  the  city  of 
JEphesus.  Whether  these  Jewish  exorcists  were  all  impos- 
tors, or  whether  their  process  of  ejecting  demons  was  sue* 
cessful  or  not,  we  are  not  called  upon  to  determine.  What 
we  wish  to  establish  is,  that  possessions  were  not  pecuHar 
to  our  Saviour's  time  nor  to  the  land  of  Canaan.  Demon* 
ology  was  the  great  foundation  on  which  the  whole  super- 
structure of  heathenism  was  erected,  and  it  is,  therefore, 
a  useless  waste  of  time  to  produce  quotations,  to  prove 
,  what  no  person  competent  to  judge  will  pretend  to 
deny. 

Farmer  says :  "  To  some  persons  it  may  appear  strange 
that  possessions  should  be  ascribed  by  many  of  the  fathers, 


>''    ••■^mr."- 


184  A  THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

after  the  time  of  Justin  Martyr,  to  fallen  angels.  The 
following  considerations,  perhaps,  may  in  some  measure 
account  for  their  conduct : 

"  Several  philosophers  taught  that  the  heathen  demons 
were  evil  spirits  of  a  rank  superior  to  mankind,  and  that 
these  demons  ^ersowa^e  J  the  souls  of  the  dead,  gods  and 
genii,  and  procured  themselves  to  be  worshipped  under 
their  names. 

"  The  fathers  ascribed  to  these  celestial  demons,  what- 
ever the  heathen  in  general  attributed  to  their  deified 
ghosts,  and  consequently  accounted  for  possessions,  with- 
out referring  them  to  human  spirits." 

From  this  it  appears  that  some  demons  were,  by  the 
highest  authority  among  the  heathen,  considered  of  a 
rank  superior  to  mankind.  That  they  were  all  considered 
by  the  Jews  to  be  wicked  spirits  is  certain.  Xow  Christ 
and  his  apostles  were  Jews.  They  appear  to  have  em- 
braced the  common  opinion  that  demons  were  wicked 
spirits.  Whatever  ambiguity  might  be  in  the  naked 
term  among  the  heathen,  there  was  none  in  the  opinion 
of  the  Jews,  Luke  7  :  21,  "In  the  same  hour  he  cured 
many  of  their  infirmities  and  plagues  (embracing  all  man- 
ner of  natural  disease),  and  of  evil  spirits.^"*  8 :  2,  The 
evangelist  speaks  of  "  certain  women  who  had  been  healed 
of  evil  spirits  and  infirmities,"  among  whom  is  Mary  Mag- 
dalene, "  out  of  whom  went  seven  demons;  "  and  "  when 
Christ  called  imto  him  his  twelve  disciples,  he  gave  them 
power  against  unclean  spirits,  to  cast  them  out,  and  to 
heal  all  manner  of  sickness^  and  all  manner  of  disease^"^ 
Mat.  10:1. 

Here  we  are  taught  very  explicitly,  that  the  casting 
out  of  demons  was  not  the  healing  of  any  form  of 
mere  disease  at  all,  but  a  dislodgment  of  evil  spirits  from 
persons  over  whom  they  had  obtained  a  controlling  power. 


AN   OBJECTION   ANSWERED.  185 

This  instruction  was  given  in  private,  and  as  Christ,  who  did 
not  believe  in  the  gods  and  ghosts  of  paganism,  would  not 
confirm  his  disciples  in  the  belief  of  popular  error,  there  is 
seemingly  no  alternative  left  but  to  adopt  this  statement 
as  a  literal  fact :  he  conferred  the  power  of  casting  out 
the  angels  of  the  devil,  whom  the  use  of  the  term  allowed 
him  to  regard  as  the  veritable  demons  of  paganism. 

Agreeably  to  this  the  fathers  taught.  "  St.  Chrysos- 
tom  admits  that  the  demons  in  the  possessed  persons  pre- 
tended that  they  were  the  souls  of  such  or  such  a  monk, 
but  himself  asserts  that  it  was  the  Devil  that  personated 
the  ghosts  of  those  who  suffered  a  violent  death,  and 
hereby  caused  men  to  think  they  became  demons,"  etc. 
{Farmer  on  Dem.^  p.  51.) 

It  is,  however,  not  very  creditable  to  this  writer,  that 
he  labors  to  disparage  the  fathers  to  gain  his  point  by 
saying,  "  It  appears  that  they,  themselves,  doubted  or 
disbelieved  the  reahty  of  possessions,  though  they  assert- 
ed it  in  their  popular  discourses!"  (  p.  56.) 

The  result,  then,  to  which  we  come,  is  this :  Although 
departed  spirits  were  commonly  called  demons,  among 
the  heathen,  there  was  another  class  of  evil  spirits, 
who  were  superior  to  mankind,  so  called,  and  therefore 
the  common  acceptation  of  the  term  does  not  oblige  us  to 
suppose  that  Christ  used  it  in  the  former  sense ;  and  as  he 
always  used  it  in  a  had  sense,  and  can  not  be  supposed  to 
have  countenanced  the  idea  of  human  souls  returning  to 
possess  the  bodies  of  the  living,  he  must  have  used  it  in 
a  sense  fully  expressed  above,  in  Chrysostom. 

Another  objection  against  this  view  is,  that  there  are  no 
possessions  at  the  present  day,  as  there  have  been  none 
since  the  primitive  times  of  Christianity.  To  this  wc 
answer: 

1.  If  we  have  shown  logically  that  Christ  did  teach  the 


186  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

reality  of  possessions,  it  is  not  an  incredible  thing  that 
similar  phenomena  should  take  place  again,  and  that 
with  such  modifications  and  adaptations,  in  the  fact  of 
obsessions,  as  would  be  thought  best  by  the  evil  one  to 
subserve  his  own  designs. 

2.  It  is  by  no  means  certain  that  actual  possessions  or 
obsessions  have  not  taken  place  from  age  to  age,  ever 
since  the  time  of  Christ.  The  generahty  of  men  will 
probably  show  great  increduhty  on  this  point.  But  who 
so  competent  to  decide  as  physicians  ?  Oldshausen  says : 
"  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  eminent  medical  men  are 
of  a  different  opinion ;  for  example,  Esquirol  in  Paris.  Ker- 
ner's  views  are  well  known  on  the  subject.  The  missionary 
Rheinus  gives  a  remarkable  account  of  a  demoniac  in  the 
East  Indies  in  the  year  ISIV."  (Vol.  i.,  p.  275,  note.) 

Beyond  a  doubt  these  instances  are  rare,  but  they  show 
that  what  has  more  frequently  occurred  may  as  frequent- 
ly occur  again.  Well-authenticated  facts  outweigh 
plausible  theories. 

Not  a  few  physicians  of  the  present  day  declare,  that 
the  phenomena  of  modem  Spiritualism  can  be  accounted 
for  on  no  other  ground  than  that  of  spirit  agency.  Not 
only  the  physical  manifestations,  but  the  intelligence 
which  comes  through  them,  and  must  come  from  intellect, 
prove  this,  as  they  think,  and  consequently  they  have 
become  Spiritualists.  Of  course  they  think  that  both  good 
and  bad  spirits  are  engaged  in  this  business;  but  this 
opinion  is  not  based  upon  their  medical  and  scientific 
knowledge ;  therefore  we  are  not  to  consider  their 
opinion  upon  the  character  of  the  spirits  as  commanding 
as  that  which  decides  upon  their  existence  and  opera- 
tion in  this  movement. 

Now  we  are  perfectly  aware  that  it  is  not  only  unwise, 
but  superstitious  and  hurtful,  to  assign  any  strange  fact 


WHAT  IS   PROVED.  187 

to  demoniacal  influence,  if  we  can  present  a  plausible 
natural  cause  likely  to  produce  it ;  but  we  also  believe 
that  a  pertinacious  denial  of  such  influence,  as  a  fact 
possible  and  likely  to  occur,  argues  a  real  disbelief 
in  any  personal  spiritual  agency  whatever,  such  as  oc- 
curs in  every  case  of  renovation  of  heart,  though  the 
objector  would  not  acknowledge  it,  either  to  himself  or 
others.  If  our  argument,  from  what  professed  spirits  do 
and  say,  in  the  movements  and  influences  of  modern 
Spiritualism,  can  be  shown  to  be  worthless  for  the  sup- 
port of  our  theory,  then  we  stand  ready  to  prove,  by  the 
same  method  of  showing,  that  the  agency  of  the  Spirit 
of  God  in  regeneration,  and  the  ministrations  of  angels 
to  the  heirs  of  salvation,  should  also  be  denied,  upon  the 
same  ground.  No  Christian  will  assume  this  position ; 
and  by  the  very  arguments  he  uses  to  support  his  belief  in 
the  mfluence  of  the  Spirit  of  God  upon  his  own  heart,  we 
think  consistency  wiU  demand  his  acceptance  of  our  view, 
after  he  has  finished  the  sequel. 


188  A  THBEE-rOLD  TEST. 


CHAPTER  V. 

"  What  mountains  of  delusion  men  have  reared  I 
How  every  age  hath  bustled  on  to  build 
Its  Bhadowy  mole— its  monumental  dream  I" — Fbstus. 

THE  SECOND  TEST  OF   SPIEITUAUSM. 

"life  in  the  spheres." 

Internal  Evidence  of  Spirit  Literature — Failure  of  Proffered  Test— Fatal 
Admissions— Inconsistencies  and  Contradictions  of  Spirits— Swedenborg 
and  Bacon — Heaven  not  minutely  described  in  the  Bible— Reason  for  it 
— Spiritualism  offers  to  supply  the  Deficiency— The  Spheres— Sweden- 
borg's  Account  of  his  Exit — Condition  of  Spirits — Spirit  Farmers — Priests 
in  the  Bad  Place — Invective  against  Priests — Joy  in  Heaven  over  the 
Judge's  Letter— Its  Contents— The  Judge  caught  up  in  the  Spheres,  and 
sees  a  Saw-Mill— His  View  of  the  Cross— He  is  honored  in  the  Spirit 
,  World— Treated  to  a  Ride— He  is  in  the  Bad  Place— The  Judge  a  Re- 
deemer— "  John  Anderson  my  Joe !" — A  Knot  of  Priests — The  Judge 
taken  to  the  Moon — Pythagoras'  Account — A  Christian  in  a  bad  Plight 
— Pythagoras'  Discourse — No  Culprits — Sum  of  the  whole  Matter — 
Supernal  Eloquence  of  Spirit  Channing — Estimate  of  all  these  Matters — 
"  Apocatastasis"  quoted— Heaven  distinguished  from  the  Spheres- 
Elysium — ^Mohammedan  Gardens — Modern  Spiritualism  an  Improve- 
ment upon  them. 

In  our  estimation  of  the  claims  of  Spiritualism,  we  are 
not  obliged  to  trust  to  appearances.  Reason  and  conscience 
are  placed  upon  the  bench,  by  the  great  Author  of  our 
being,  as  the  judges  by  whose  decision  all  things  pertain- 
ing to  the  interests  of  our  humanity  are  to  be  accepted  or 
rejected.    He  can  not  be  the  author  of  a  revelation  that 


INTERNAL  EVIDENCE.  189 

they  would  instinctively  reject.  If  any  system  contain 
palpable  absurdities,  clearly  irreconcilable  contradictions, 
or  injunctions  repugnant  to  the  moral  feelings  of  our  na- 
ture, it  is  unnecessary  to  examine  any  evidence  of  its 
divine  origiu,  for  no  evidence  can  outweigh  our  own 
innate  perception  of  incongruities,  absurdities,  and  false- 
hood. Whatever  deserves  immediate  rejection  by  the 
verdict  of  reason  and  conscience,  can  not  be  received  on 
any  amount  of  evidence  that  may  be  presented.  K  an 
intelligence  from  another  world  should  satisfy  me,  beyond 
all  my  powers  of  dispute,  of  his  spirit  existence  and 
presence,  and  insist  that  two  and  two  make  five,  I 
must  reject  him  as  ahar;  or  if  he  give  me  a  commu- 
nication repugnant  to  my  conscience,  conflicting  with 
my  reason,  offensive  to  my  moral  feeling,  and  irreconcila- 
ble with  itself,  I  must  reject  him  with  disdain  as  a  vile 
impostor.  But  besides  this,  such  must  be  the  harmony 
of  the  revelation  with  itself,  and  with  the  source  whence 
it  professes  to  come,  and  with  my  reason  and  conscience, 
that  the  supposition  of  its  not  coming  from  the  alleged 
source,  would  necessarily  involve  me  in  a  greater  incon- 
sistency than  the  contrary  could  do  ;  that  is,  its  rejection 
would  be  more  absurd  than  its  reception,  no  matter  what 
might  be  the  difficulties  I  should  feel  about  the  latter. 
This  is  what  is  meant  by  internal  evidence.  By  this  test 
we  shall  now  try  the  claims  of  Spirituahsm. 

It  will  be  seen,  by  the  contents  of  our  second  chapter, 
that  in  the  application  of  its  own  proffered  test  for  the 
"  conversion  of  skeptics,"  notwithstanding  the  confident 
boast  that  "  the  spiritual  theory  can  stand  all  tests,"  in 
every  instance  of  rappings  and  tippings,  there  was  not 
only  failure,  but  absurdity  so  glaringly  inconsistent  with 
intelligence  as  to  justify  the  belief,  that  to  whatever  other 
cause  they  may  be  assigned,  they  are  not  attributable  to 


190  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

the  Spirits  of  our  departed  friends ;  for  it  is  clear,  that  by 
the  same  power  a  spirit  has  to  give  correct  affirmative 
answers  to  questions  put  in  a  given  form,.it  can  as  easily 
and  as  certainly  give  correct  negative  answers  to  the 
same  questions  reversed.  And  inasmuch  as  the  test  em- 
ployed is  to  ascertain  the  reality  of  spirit  communication, 
and  as  we  are  told  the  spirits  desire  to  be  tested,  that 
they  may  in  all  cases  have  a  fair  opportunity  to  prove  it, 
this  power  would  certainly  be  used,  in  conformity  with 
their  desire,  and  with  the  intelligent  variations  of  reply 
as  required  by  that  desire,  if  such  spirit  power  as  is  claimed 
existed  iu  these  manifestations.  The  failure  which  is  sure 
to  follow  the  application  of  the  proffered  test,  as  made 
above,  is  a  demonstration  of  the  falsity  of  the  pretense 
set  up,  which  we  do  not  see  how  our  Spiritualists  can  get 
over. 

That  each  medium  has  a  power  or  faculty  by  which  these 
phenomena  are  exhibited,  we  fully  believe.  That  it  "  is 
owing  to  physical  organization,"  as  Judge  Edmonds  says, 
"  more  than  it  is  to  moral  causes,"  we  also  believe  ;  yet 
moral  causes  are  not  to  be  excluded ;  for  each  medium 
has,  or  may  have,  "  familiar  spirits,"  competent  to  do, 
through  his  or  her  peculiar  organization,  aU  the  rappings 
and  tippings  necessary  to  every  personification  ;  but  that 
the  real  spirits  of  our  departed  friends  are  the  causes  of 
them  is  proved  to  be  a  false  pretense. 

While  the  Judge  denies  that  there  is  "  a  distinct  race 
of  beings,  known  in  the  old  theology  as  devils,  and  repre- 
sented as  a  creation  distinct  from  and  independent  of  the 
human  family,"  he  admits  that  there  are  spirits,  "  selfish, 
intolerant,  cruel,  mahcious,  and  delighting  in  himian  suf- 
fering upon  earth,"  "  having,  in  common  with  others,  the 
power  of  reaching  mankind  through  this  newly-developed 
instrumentality."   He  admits  that  "  this  influence  displays 


A   FALSE  PKETENSE.  191 

itself  in  various  forms,  but  scarcely  ever  without  tending 
to  impair  confidence  in  the  manifestations."  He  admits 
that  "  sometimes  its  fell  purposes  are  most  adroitly  veiled 
under  the  cover  of  good  intentions,"  "  calm,  considerate, 
and  persevering."  {Spiritualism^  vol.  u.,  p.  42.)  He 
admits  that  "  there  are  false  communications  which  are 
not  intentionally  so ;  some  arising  from  a  mistake  of  the 
spirit  who  is  communing,  and  some  from  the  error  of  the 
medium,  who  has  not  yet  so  studied  himself  as  to  be  able 
to  distinguish  the  innate  action  of  his  own  m,ind  from 
the  impress  of  spirit  influence;^''  and  that  "the  character 
of  the  mediumship  is  frequently  changing  in  the  same  in- 
dividual, and  that  no  two  mediums  are  precisely  alike. 
From  this  latter  cause  there  must,  of  necessity,  arise  an 
effect  producing  some  uncertainty."  (Ibid.^  43.)  How 
much  uncertainty  he  does  not  say.  We  think  we  shall 
prove  it  entire, 

!N'otwithstanding  all  this,  he  professes  to  be  able  to 
outwit  these  bad  spirits.  "  We  have,"  says  he,  *'  the  con- 
solation of  knowing  that  now  we  can  be  conscious  of  its 
presence,  and  guard  against  its  approaches."  How? 
Thus :  "  By  applying  to  it,  as  we  do  when  weighing 
human  testimony,  the  sagacity  and  searching  'power  of 
our  own  reason.  {Ibid.^  42,  43.)  We  very  much  fear  the 
Judge  over-estimates  his  "  sagacity."  Can  we  be  sure 
that  his  reason  is  not  subject  to  hallucination,  and  to  the 
deceptive  influences  he  has  mentioned,  as  much  as  that 
of  other  men  ?  Does  he  put  in  for  himself  a  claim  of  in- 
fallibility? This  very  confidence,  we  think,  only  the 
more  exposes  him  to  be  deceived  ;  and  we  think  we  shall 
show,  out  of  his  own  mouth,  that  this  is  the  case.  A  man 
who  writes  that  in  a  vision  of  the  realities  of  another 
world,  he  visited  a  comfortable  farm  in  the  spheres, 
on  which  was  a  farm-house  and  a  saw-mill,  with  all  their 


192  A  THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

appropriate  appurtenances,  and  that  "  the  matron  invit- 
ed him  to  call  on  her  again,  and  she  would  give  him 
a  driyik  ofhuttermilk  (!)  ",  (Spiritualism,  vol.  ii.,  p.  144,)  ; 
is  the  last  man  on  earth  to  talk  about  "  the  sagacity  and 
searching  power  of  his  own  reason,"  and  makes  a  most 
unreasonable  demand,  when  he  requires  our  assent  to  his 
vagaries.  A  deliberate  pubUcation  of  such  things  is  very- 
satisfactory  evidence  of  hallucination,  of  the  imputation 
of  which,  the  Judge  will  find  it  difficult  to  get  clear. 

But  perhaps  we  shall  be  told,  that  in  our  experiments 
with  the  spirits,  we  did  not  concentrate  the  mind  upon 
the  aforesaid  questions,  and  hence  the  discrepancy.  To 
this,  we  reply,  that  being  fully  warned  of  the  necessity 
of  doing  so,  we  did  concentrate,  slowly  repeating  in  the 
mind  word  for  word ;  and  our  consciousness  of  success, 
in  a  qUiet,  unruffled  state  of  collected  thought,  proves 
that  such  an  explanation  is  not  for  a  moment  ad- 
missible. 

The  only  other  explanation  we  can  think  of,  is  this: 
that  deceiving  spirits  have  misled  us,  purposely  an- 
swering by  contradictions.  But  this  would  be  a  begging 
of  the  question,  so  gross  that  it  would  seem  a  total  sur- 
render ;  for  the  assurances  given  us,  already  named,  and 
our  compliance  with  all  necessary  conditions  for  success, 
have  taken  away  all  right  to  any  such  plea  ;  and  when  we 
assert  that  these  rappings  and  tippings  are  made  in  such  a 
hap-hazard  way,  as  to  evince  no  intelligence  at  all,  it  can 
not  be  met  by  an  assumption,  after  the  proffered  "  test" 
has  failed,  in  any  case. 

But  again ;  we  say,  if  spirits  are  the  authors  of  the 
aforesaid  contradictions,  they  are  lying  spirits,  whose 
cunning  and  imposture  can  not  be  guarded  against ;  and 
that  whenever,  or  however,  we  detect  such  contradic- 
tions, incongruities,  and  unseemly  intellectual  manifesta- 


w 


THE   BIBLE   TEST.  198 

tions,  we  fix  the  character  of  the  spirits  as  descriptive  of 
those  whose  coming  is  foretold  in  the  !N"ew  Testament : 
"  Now  the  Spirit  speaketh  expressly,  that  in  the  latter 
times  some  shall  depart  from  the  faith,  giving  heed  to 
seducing  spirits,  and  doctrines  of  demons."  (1  Tim. 
4:1.)  We  read,  also,  as  descriptive  of  the  latter  times, 
of  "  the  working  of  Satan,  with  aU  power,  and  signs,  and 
lying  wonders,"  of  "  deceivableness  of  unrighteousness 
in  them  that  perish  ;  because  they  received  not  the  truth, 
that  they  might  be  saved,  and  for  this  cause  God  shall 
send  them  strong  delusion,  that  they  should  believe  a 
lie  ;  that  they  all  might  be  damned  who  believed  not  the 
truth,  but  had  pleasure  in  unrighteousness."  (2  Tliess. 
2  :  9-12.)  In  connection  with  the  announcement  of 
"  perilous  times  in  the  last  days,"  and  descriptive  of  cer- 
tain characters  of  those  times,  it  is  said :  "  Evil  men  and 
seducers  shall  wax  worse  and  worse,  deceiving  and  be- 
ing deceived."  This  is  followed  by  a  commendation  of 
the  Scriptures  as  our  only  guide. 

INow,  whatever  may  be  said  by  our  Spiritualists  of  the 
Scriptures,  it  is  evident  by  their  own  admissions,  that 
these  prophetic  announcements  are  remarkably  fulfilled 
by  the  mendacity  of  the  spirits ;  and  that  in  this  fulfill- 
ment, after  the  lapse  of  centuries,  through  the  agency 
of  this  movement,  we  have  an  additional  test  in  favor  of 
the  claims  of  the  Bible  which  they  repudiate,  a  little 
more  powerful  than  any  thing  they  can  boast  of.  Other 
people  will  see  it  if  they  will  not. 

Some  of  these  admissions  we  have  given,  but  there  are 
others  we  must  not  pass  over. 

"  Our  records,"  says  the  Judge,  "  show  us  beyond 
peradventure,  that  at  times,  ignorant,  unprogressed,  infe- 
rior, and  sometimes  positively  mischievous  spirits,  do  com- 
mune with  us,  through  the  instrumentality  of  this  inter- 
course." (Spiritualism^  vol.  i.,  p.  47.) 


194  A   THEEE-rOLD   TEST. 

"  I  know  of  no  mode  of  spiritual  intercourse  that  is  ex- 
empt from  moral  taint — no  kind  of  mediumship  where 
the  communication  may  not  be  affected  by  the  mind  of 
the  instrument."  {Spiritualism^  vol.  ii.,  p.  39.) 

"  No  two  spirits  seem  to  agree  as  to  what  is  the  truth, 
any  more  than  two  mortals !"  (Modern  Spiritualism,  by 
Capron,  p.  378.) 

"  On  the  subject  of  the  existence  of  a  great  First 
Cause  we  have  no  new  proofs  or  revelations.  The  proba- 
bility is  that  spirits  generally  know  but  little,  if  any,  more 
about  how,  where,  or  in  what  form  the  Deity  exists, 
than  we  mortals.  I  see  nothing  in  the  new  revelations 
that  would,  of  necessity,  lead  an  atheist  to  change  his 
views.  The  most  confirmed  atheist  may  believe  in  im- 
mortality and  be  a  refined  Spiritualist.  More  than  this, 
he  can  get  his  views  sanctioned  by  the  spirits  as  readily 
as  the  most  devout  believer  in  any  of  the  thousand  forms 
in  which  popular  theology  has  clothed  the  Author  of  na- 
ture. The  anthropomorphism  of  the  Jews  and  most  pro- 
fessing Christians,  and  the  pantheism  of  the  admirers  of 
nature  as  God,  may  all  find  spirits — good  spirits,  too — to 
agree  with  them.  I  say  good  spirits,  for  I  would  not 
sanction  the  folly  of  condemning  spirits  or  men  either  for 
a  difference  of  opinion,  especially  where  no  positive  tangi- 
ble proof  could  be  produced  I ! !  "  {Idem,  pp.  379,  380.) 

"  Many  ways  need  the  strictest  scrutiny,  as  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  detect  which  is  the  spiritual  and  which  an  emana- 
tion from  the  mind  of  the  medium.  This  is  particularly 
the  case  with  writing  and  speaking.  So  much  can  be 
done  by  the  human  mind  without  the  aid  of  spirits,  when 
in  certain  peculiar  conditions,  that  it  is  not  safe  to  say 
that  spirits  are  writing  or  speaking,  without  the  most 
positive  proofs.  Such  proofs  have  been  abundant,  and 
the  tests  satisfactory  to  thousands.  Still,  much  self-decep- 
tion exists  in  regard  to  mediumship,  and  through  this 
many  have  been  deceived,  and  many,  seeing  no  proof  of 
spiritual  power,  have  left  the  investigations  in  disgust, 
unwilhng  to  spend  their  time  where  assertions  were  given 
instead  of  proof,  and  where  a  nervous  action  was  claim- 
ed to  be  the  work  of  spirits  out  of  the  flesh."  {Idem^ 
pp.  381,  382.) 


EUINOUS   ADMISSIONS.  195 

"  Many  Spiritualists,  at  the  present  day,  being  very 
zealous  to  advance  their  cause,  sometimes  think  they  see 
what  they  do  not ;  and,  from  a  small  beginning,  often 
get  up  a  marvellous  story,  and  this,  too,  in  perfect  sincer- 
ity !  "  (JV.  T.  Miracles,  etc.,  by  Fowler.) 

Think  of  that.  Judge ;  what  proof  have  we  of  better 
authority  for  the  "  Visions  "  ? 

"  In  regard  to  Paul,  and  such  great  personages  com- 
municating, I  have  to  say  that  an  observer  of  the  mani- 
festations soon  comes  to  regard  with  suspicion,  spirits 
claiming  to  be  such ;  for  that  same  vanity  which  often 
prompts  men  to  pretend  to  something  above  themselves, 
likewise  prompts  spirits  not  unfolded  in  goodness  and 
wisdom,  to  assume  great  names ;  and  the  more  because 
they  are  invisible,  and  can  practise  with  considerable  suc- 
cess upon  the  creduUty  of  the  unwary."  (Reply  to  Dr. 
Lind,  by  Bland.) 

This,  of  course,  refers  to  the  personations  of  Bacon, 
Swedenborg,  Webster,  Washington,  Calhomi,  Clay,  and 
others  whose  earthly  fame  is  used  by  Hving  spirits  to 
gain  eclat  to  their  sounding  periods. 

Confirmatory  of  this,  comes  forth  Swedenborg  himself, 
with  this  complaint : 

"It  is  not  strange,  that  very  many,  either  from  an 
over-anxiety  to  commune  or  from  a  careless  disregard  of 
what  they  deem  a  trivial  falsehood,  assumed  false  names, 
and  among  all  those  who  have  been  falsely  personated; 
there  has  been  no  one  more  frequently  so  than  Sweden- 
borg." "  There  are  some  who,  for  mischievous  purposes, 
assume  a  false  character,  and  teach  false  doctrine,  to  de- 
ceive and  milsead."  {Spiritualism,  vol.  i.,  pp.  370,  371.) 

The  last  quotation  is  from  a  speech  of  the  Baron,  utter- 
ied  through  the  Judge,  as  his  mouth-piece ;  and  although 
t  is  doubtless  claimed  as  proof  of  his  identity,  we  take  it 
to  be  an  expert  trick  of  some  pseudo-Swedenborg,  (unless 


196  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

it  be  laid  at  the  door  of  clairvoyance,)  "  most  adroitly 
veiled  under  the  cover  of  good  intentions."  How  can  it 
be  disproved  ? 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  staple  of  both  octavos, 
by  the  Judge  and  the  Doctor,  is  professedly  from  Bacon 
and  Swedenborg.  This  shall  furnish  owe  proof  ^  that  these 
gentlemen,  whose  sincerity  we  do  not  doubt,  are  grossly 
deceived  that  the  internal  evidence  shows  an  unmistakable 
personation ;  and  that  our  Spirituahsts  have  no  means  of 
rebutting  the  charge,  in  the  face  of  the  aforesaid  admis- 
sions. 

We  are  perfectly  willing  to  abide  the  issue  of  the  test^ 
when  fairly  applied,  as  laid  down  by  Mr.  Brittan,  in  this 
form :  "  We  insist  that  the  real  character  of  the  spirits 
is  most  clearly  revealed  in  what  they  do  and  say,  and 
that  the  declaration  of  Christ,  on  this  point,  is  the  law 
of  nature :  '  Wherefore,  by  their  fruits  shall  ye  know 
them.' "  (Meview  of  JBeecher,  p.  73.)  This  is  certainly 
fair,  for  if  their  words  and  actions  are  not  conformable  to 
the  doctrine  of  progressio7i,  of  which  we  must  judge  by 
their  known  earthly  attainments,  they  are  to  be  set  down 
as  deceivers.  As  to  their  real  character,  from  some 
things  that  they  do,  let  us  hear  the  author  of  "  Familiar 
Spirits,"  Mr.  "  Veriphilos  Credens,"  p.  49  :  "I  do  be- 
.  lieve  in  evil  spirits — in  spirits  as  evil  as  mortals  are — I 
believe  there  may  be  those,  who,  like  some  human  beings, 
*>|^  delight  in  mischief  and  deception,  and  in  aU  kinds  of 
viUany  ever  practised  on  earth ;  and  I  can  much  more 
readily  believe,  that  such  spirits  perform  those  deeds  of 
mischief,  which  he  (Dr.  Pond)  speaks  of— such  as  tearing 
clothes  and  destroying  furniture — ^than  that  magnetism 
or  electricity,  even  the  detached  vitahzed,  can  do  them. 

I^ow  we  insist  that  from  all  the  manifestations  yet 
made,  we  have  no  assurance  but  that  every  one  of  them 


RUINOUS   ADMISSIONS.  197 

may  be  from  the  same  source  of  evil.  If  these  spirits 
"  delight  in  all  kinds  of  villany  ever  practised  on  earth," 
and  if  some  kinds  of  villany  on  earth  have  been  to 
deceive  under  the  apparently  pure  garb  of  honesty, 
and  like  western  hunters  using  the  mechanical  tleat  to 
entice  the  mother  doe  to  a  cleared  spot  where  the  fatal 
ball  may  reach  her  heart,  betray  the  confiding  by  false 
pretenses,  where  is  the  assurance  that  every  spirit 
demonstration  having  the  appearance  of  good,  is  not 
thus  made  with  the  direst  purpose  of  accomphshing 
in  the  long  run  some  hellish  end  ?  There  is  no  security 
against  this ;  nay,  it  would  seem  to  chime  in  exactly 
with  the  character  of  those  who  delight  in  "  all  kinds  of 
vUlany."  '^ 

"  But,"  it  is  asked,  "  if  evil  spirits  can  thus  come  to 
perplex  and  distress  us,  can  any  reason  be  assigned  why 
good  ones  may  not  come  to  comfort  and  console  us  ?" 
{Ibid.)  The  author  refers  to  our  departed  friends,  and 
our  answer  is  ready.  They  can  not  comfort  or  console, 
much  less  defend  us  ;  for  by  the  testimony  of  the  Bible, 
when  the  dust  returns  to  dust,  "  the  spirit  returns  to 
God  who  gave  it,"  and  in  all  the  biographies  of  the 
Bible,  there  is  not  a  single  instance  of  a  mortal  being 
revisited  by  a  spirit  relative,  for  this  or  any  other  purpose. 
Besides,  God  has  provided  better  means  for  our  consola- 
tion, and  more  efficient  guards  for  our  defense,  if  we  ac- 
cept them.  Hence,  good  spirits,  who  "  eest  from  their  'Ij^ 
labors,"  are  to  be  troubled  no  more  with  the  perplexi- 
ties of  earth,  assured  that  he  who  "hears  the  ravens  when 
they  cry"  will  take  care  of  every  dear  one  left  behind. 
(2  Sam.  12  :  23.) 

As  to  the  "  real  character  of  the  spirits  from  what  they 
SAY,"  we  shall  mostly  confine  ourselves  to  the  matter  of 
the  work  on  "  Spiritualism,"  by  the  Judge  and  the  Doc- 


198  A  THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

tor,  professedly  the  media  of  the  spirits  of  Lord  Bacon  and 
Baron  Swedenborg.  And  we  do  this  the  more  readily, 
because  of  the  contrast  complacently  drawn  by  the  former 
of  these  media  in  his  introduction  to  vol.  ii. : 

"  I  could  conceive  of  no  reason  why  the  humble  and 
the  lowly  of  this  day  could  not  as  well  become  such 
instruments  as  the  fishermen  of  Galilee,  nor  why  the  in- 
structed of  modern  times  could  not  receive  and  impart 
of  them  as  well  as  of  him  of  Tarsus,  of  whom  it  was  said, 
even  from  high  places,  that  much  learning  had  made  him 
mad !"  This  is  very  cool,  but  however  ambitious  our 
author  may  be  of  rivalling  the  fame  of  Paul,  we  feel  quite 
sure,  that  after  the  perusal  of  these  volumes,  no  one  will 
think  of  quoting  the  famous  exclamation  of  Governor 
Felix  as  indicative  of  the  cause  of  his  mental  alienation. 

To  prove  the  spirit  Swedenborg  to  be  some  personating 
demon,  we  have  only  to  note  his  incongruities,  and  to 
quote  him  against  himself.    Thus  he  speaketh  : 

1.  "  Say  what  men  may,  teach  what  men  may  teach, 
still  the  sold  of  man  is  apart  of  God  himself'*  (Vol.  i.,  p. 
10.)  This  is  a  manifest  absurdity,  whose  implications  are 
monstrous  and  blasphemous :  for  as  man  is  a  sinner,  it 
covers  the  divine  nature  with  human  guilt !  "  The  soul 
that  sinneth,  it  shall  die  ;"  but  the  soul  is  a  part  of  God 
himself,  therefore  that  part  of  God  that  sinneth  must  die! 
The  communications  of  this  spirit  begin  with  the  solemn 
announcement,  "In  the  name  of  God,  I  am  Swedenborg;" 
and  on  the  very  next  page  but  one,  utters  this  preposter- 
ous sentence : 

2.  "  The  very  intention  of  man's  creation  (a  small  one 
to  be  sure)  was  that  man  should  understand  both  life  and 
death ;  by  the  fall  (if  indeed  this  be  true)  he  lost  the 
Imowledge  of  death!"  (P.  104.) 

"  What  you  consider  the  faU  of  man,  is  only  the  great 


INCONGRUITIES.  109 

change  in  his  mental  and  material  nature,  produced  bj 
the  increase  of  numbers,  the  wants  and  necessities  that 
arose  around  him,  the  occupation  of  his  thoughts  with  the 
circumstances  of  his  material  condition,  and  the  entire 
direction  of  his  mind  from  spiritual  things  to  the  subjects 
of  earth!"  (P.  122.) 

These  extracts  give  us  the  following  precious  truth : 
That  part  of  God  which  is  in  man,  lost  the  knowledge 
of  death,  simply  by  the  increase  of  the  human  species 
with  its  multiplied  necessities,  thereby  superinducing  a 
change  in  man's  mental  and  material  nature.  And  if  the 
doctrine  of  the  fall  be  true,  of  which  he  is  not  certain, 
this  is  the  fall ;  in  which,  when  man  feU,  God  also  fell  in 
part ;  because  the  soul  is  "  a  part  of  God  himself"  ! 

3.  "  The  return  of  the  soul  to  the  source  from  which  it 
emanated  does  not  suppose  it  necessary  that  the  Godhead 
should  absorb  it  within  itself.  This  would  be  incompati- 
ble with  his  nature."  (P.  109.) 

Spirits  go  on  progressing  "until  they  have  passed 
beyond  these  spheres,  and  enter  the  glorious  mansions  of 
what  we  call  heaven,  but  they  scarce  lose  their  material 
organization,  sublimated,  it  is  true,  by  every  ascending 
step,  as  they  rise  in  the  circle  of  their  progress,  till  at  last 
materiality  is  swallowed  up  in  spirituality,  and  they  either 
become  incorporated  in  the  whole  of  the  First  Cause,  or 
exist  as  I  have  said!"     (P.  146.) 

Passing  other  matters  of  absurdity,  in  one  extract,  ab- 
sorption of  souls  in  the  God  is  said  to  be  "  incompatible 
with  the  divine  nature ;"  but  in  the  other,  it  is  altogether 
compatible,  that  they  should  be  incorporated  with  God! 
This  glaring  contradiction  comes  from  a  spirit  professedly 
from  the  highest  sphere,  who  utters  this  untruth  of  him- 
self: "I  had  lived  jowre  and  unspotted,  send,  when  I  left 
the  world,  I  was  ushered  into  what  has  been  stated  as  the 
sixth  sphere."  (P.  174.) 


200  Jl  theee-fold  test. 

4.  "  Beyond  the  vision  of  the  most  powerful  telescope 
there  are  world  filled  with  spirits  whose  birth  is  for  ever 
and  ever  I''  (P.  107.) 

Well-ordered  words  these,  for  a  progressed  phi- 
losopher ! 

5.  "When  the  mind  attempts  to  separate  the  spirit 
from  matter,  it  has  just  no  conception  of  spirit.  There- 
fore we  can  not  invest  the  Creator  with  form  ov  personal- 
ityP     (P.  262. 

"  K  the  identification  of  spirit  with  matter  were  un- 
folded to  your  minds,  the  whole  mystery  of  the  Great 
First  Cause  would  be  understood !"  (P.  263.) 

Because  spirit  is  identified  with  matter,  therefore  the 
Creator  has  no  personality,  and  could  this  identification 
be  unfolded,  we  could  explain  the  nature  of  God  I  Can 
the  ravings  of  lunacy  beat  this  ? 

6.  Swedenborg  must  be  an  enemy  to  modem  geology,     .% 
for  he  says :  "  Take  the  soil  from  earth's  centre^  and  bring         S_ 
it  to  the  surface,  and  it  will  germinate  vegetation  in  some 
form  as  soon  as  it  feels  the  light  and  heat."  (P.  264.) 

What  have  ye  to  say  to  that,  ye  maudlin  race  who  are 
dreaming  about  the  mysteries  of  Plutonic  rock  and  fancied 
internal  fires  within  the  crust  of  the  earth  ?  Know,  hence-    ♦ 
forth,  that  there  is  soil  at  the  centre^  and  bum  your  books 
of  fiction ! 

7.  The  Baron  was  well  acquainted  with  Scripture,  when 
on  earth ;  but  he  must  have  in  a  measure  lost  his  memory 
in  the  spheres,  contrary  to  the  doctrine  of  progression ; 
for  he  exhorts  his  media  to  mingle  afiections  and  aspira- 
tion together ;  that  together  they  may  wander  toxoard  the 
mark  of  their  high  calling^  (vol.  i.,  p.  353;)  and  he  makes 
a  worse  mistake  in  saying:  "We  can  understand  the 
teachings  of  Christ,  where  he  says,  '  Work  out  your  own 
salvation  with  fear  and  trembling' "  !  (Vol.  ii.,  p.  171.) 


CONTRADICTIONS.  201 

8.  "  You  have  been  taught  that  God  is  a  principle,''^ 
(p.  343 :)  and  this  prmciple  "  God,  when  he  stamped  the 
impress  of  his  sentient  particle  (the  soul)  which  came 
from  him,  endowed  it  with  the  almighty  attributes  of  his 
nature''  I ! !  (Vol.  ii.,  p.  355.) 

Such  are  some  of  the  crudities  of  the  spirit  Swedenborg, 
and  we  submit  it  to  the  judgment  of  any  clear-minded 
man  whether  any  good  spirit  could  be  the  author  of  such 
miserable  trash. 

I^ow  let  us  hear  from  "  my  Lord  Bacon."  He  offers  as 
proof  of  his  identity  the  following  test : 

"  In  regard  to  my  identity,  I  have  to  say  that  you  can 
judge  whether  or  not  it  be  Lord  Bacon  by  the  truth  of 
my  teachings."  "  You  can  correctly  ascertain  the  true 
character  of  the  spirit  purporting  to  teach,  by  the  subject- 
matter  of  his  teachmgs,  as  well  as  by  the  peculiar  method 
by  which  he  communicates  his  ideas."  (Vol.  i.,  pp.  113, 
186.) 

In  the  application  of  this  proffered  test,  it  will  be  seen, 
as  his  "  familiar"  Swedenborg  has  been  shown  out  of  his 
own  mouth  to  be  a  lying  spirit,  so  the  Judge  will  not  be 
able  to  save  his  Bacon  from  the  same  "  manifestation." 
My  lord  thus  discourseth : 

1.  "  All  good  and  pure  spirits  do  not  reside  near  this 
earth,  if,  indeed,  anywhere  near  it.  Some  reside  mil- 
lions of  miles  distant,  others  on  planets  near  the  earth." 
(Vol.  i.,  p.  111.)  This  is  contradicted  by  the  communica- 
tions through  Dr.  Hare,  who  says :  "  At  the  distance  of 
about  sixty  miles  from  the  terrestrial  surface,  the  spirit 
world  commences.  It  consists  of  six  hands  or  zones  (not 
planets)  designated  as  spheres,  surrounding  the  earth,  so 
as  to  have  one  common  centre  with  it,  and  with  each 
other.  An  idea  of  these  rings  may  be  formed  from  that 
of  the  planet  Saturn."      "  The  heaven  of  Spiritualism  is 


202  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

more  than  one  hundred  thousand  miles  below  the  moonP^ 
(IIare''s  Letter  to  Episcopal  Clergy?^ 

These  facts  were  agreed  upon,  and  confirmed  to  him  by 
a  "  convocation  of  spirits."  But  another  convocation  of 
spirits,  with  Bacon  at  their  head,  declared :  "  It  takes  an 
eternity  to  reach  the  celestial  spheres.  I  mean  ages  on 
ages  shall  roll  away,  before  progression  can  develop  attri- 
butes to  entitle  us  to  a  residence  in  heaven."  (Yol.  ii., 
p.  92.) 

According  to  Bacon  and  his  compeers,  good  spirits  do 
not  reside  near  the  earth  at  all,  but  millions  of  miles  off; 
and  even  then,  are  not  in  heaven.  According  to  the 
other  "  convocation,"  heaven  itself  is  more  than  one  hun- 
dred thousand  miles  below  the  moon. 

Now  the  distance  of  the  moon  from  us  is  some  two 
hundred  and  thirty  seven  thousand  miles,  and  hence  the 
heaven  of  the  Spirituahsts  is  but  between  one  and  two 
hundred  thousand  miles  from  the  earth.  Gentlemen-Spirit- 
ualists, which  are  we  to  believe?  Spirit  Bacon  says: 
"  Christ  now  dwells  where  God  is  made  manifest,"  (vol. 
i.,  p.  384,)  this  being  nuUions  of  miles  distant ;  but  Hare's 
convocation  of  spirits  says  :  "  Christ  is  in  the  seventh  or 
highest  sphere,"  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  miles  be- 
low the  moon.  Gentlemen-Spiritualists,  which,  and  whom 
shall  we  believe  ? 

2.  As  to  angels^  spirit  Bacon  asks :  "  Could  God  create 
two  distinct  classes  of  beings  out  of  himself,  and  give  to 
one  the  precedence  over  the  other  ?  If  from  his  own  na- 
ture he  has  created  man,  how,  from  that  same  nature, 
could  he  have  fashioned  another  race  of  beings  distinct 
from  man  ?  What  are  considered  by  you  as  angels^  arc 
but  the  beatified  spirits  of  men."     (Vol.  i.,  p.  200.) 

This  is  contradicted  by  spirit  Swedenborg,  who,  in 
speaking  of  the  creation  of  man,  says :  "  His  nature  was 


INCONGRUITIES.  203 

pure,  and  that  angels  visited  the  earth  hourly  and  daily, 
and  conversed  with  man,  and  that  his  spirit  could  asso- 
ciate with  them  without  fear."     (Vol.  i.,  p.  105.) 

3.  Spirit  Bacon,  referring  to  the  Bible  account  of  the 
creation,  says :  "  It  is  said  that  God  created  man  from  the 
dust  of  the  earth.  Kow  this  is  very  well;''''  (vol.  i.,  p.  210 ;) 
but  only  forty  pages  before,  he  declared :  "  I  can  not  say 
that  he  (man)  was  derived  from  one  source  or  one  being," 
while  Swedenborg  fully  denies  the  Bible  account  of  man's 
formation.  He  says :  "That  there  was  a  first  man 
especially  and  particularly  created  to  occupy  the  garden 
of  Eden,  is  opposed  to  all  my  belief."     (Vol.  i.,  p.  126.) 

4.  Spirit  Bacon,  speaking  of  the  Koean,  says :  "  He 
(Mohammed)  was  impressed,  and  there  are  many  truths  in 
his  writings.  If  they  were  divested  of  their  admixture 
with  materiality,  or  earth's  materiality  (!),  they  would 
shadow  forth  many  scenes  of  the  spheres  here."  (Vol.  i., 
p.  153.) 

Speaking  of  the  Bible,  he  says  :  "  One  great  feature  of 
these  revelations  (of  Spiritualism)  is  to  disabuse  the  mind 
of  errors,  which  have  been  engrafted  on  their  hearts  as 
the  results  of  an  overweening  faith  in  the  doctrines  er- 
roneously inculcated  as  of  God,  and  as  found  in  the 
Bible:'    (Vol.  i.,  p.  224.) 

5.  Spirit  Bacon  teaches  the  preexistence  of  the  hu- 
man soul,  and  that  of  this  fact  the  only  rehable  evidence 
we  have  is  the  feeling  of  superstition  !  He  says :  "  Man 
is  a  part  of  God  himself!"  {Ibid.,  p.  266.)  "  There  is, 
after  all,  an  innate  feeling  in  man's  nature,  of  what  is 
called  superstition,  but  what  I  consider  the  only  evidence 
we  have  that  man's  spirit  recognizes  the  source  from 
whence  it  emanated,  and  recollected,  perhaps,  something 
which  impressed  its  consciousness  before  it  was  sent  into 
the  world."  (Vol.  i.,  p.  201.)  Can  any  absurdity  outdo 
this? 


204  A   THKEE-FOLD   TEST. 

6.  Spirit  Bacon  says :  "  There  is  as  much  conflict  of 
opinion  here  (in  the  spirit  world)  on  the  true  nature  of 
Christ,  as  with  you  !"     (Vol.  i.,  p.  213.) 

1.  Lord  Bacon,  when  on  earth,  understood  the  Scrip- 
tures and  the  teachings  of  Christ ;  but  pseudo-Bacon  ex- 
hibits a  remarkable  ignorance  on  this  matter,  and  asserts 
as  true,  what  a  simple  perusal  of  the  New  Testament  de- 
monstrates to  be  false.  Thus  it  is  asserted,  Christ 
"  taught  that  man  was  a  part  of  God,  that  in  his  spirit  ex- 
isted the  elements  of  eternal  progression,  and  that  all  that 
was  required  of  him  was  to  believe  in  God,  to  love  one 
another,  and  to  develop  the  powers  and  faculties  with 
which  that  God  had  gifted  hun."     (Vol.  i.,  p.  216.) 

When  Christ,  at  the  age  of  twelve,  disputed  in  the 
temple,  we  are  told :  "  He  reasoned  of  life,  death,  and 
eternity,  and  the  ground-work  of  all  his  teaching  was, 
that  the  moral  purity  of  man's  life  on  earth  was  the 
guarantee  of  his  happiness  after  death" !  We  are  told, 
"He  taught  all  that  spirits  Swedenborg  and  Bacon  teach!" 
We  are  reminded  that  "He  presents  the  spirit  as  a 
part  of  God."  It  is  said :  "  He  does  not  associate  himself 
in  any  way  with  the  adoration  of  the  Father,"  and  that 
"  He  distinctly  refuses  to  be  regarded  as  any  other  than 
a  man  and  the  son  of  man"  !  "He  taught  the  faith  we 
teach,  and  in  ever^ particular  Christ  was  a  Spiritualisf\^/ 
"  He  brought  man  near  to  God,  and  bid  him  understand 
his  connection  with  the  Father.  His  conditions  were 
Repent,  and  in  this  he  sums'up  all  of  spiritual  doctrines." 
(Ihid.,  pp.  379-381.)  We  are  told  that  "  there  is  one  fea- 
ture of  his  mission  which  has  not  been  apprehended,  or 
even  noticed,  by  all  the  divines  of  every  sect  who  have 
pretended  to  explain  his  teachings  since  his  death,  and 
that  is,  he  spoke  when  on  earth  to  the  very  feelings  and 
thoughts  which  could  and  would  improve  by  the  know- 
ledge which  he  taught"  ! !     {Jlkl,  383.) 


MENDACITY.  205 

Here  are,  in  regular  succession,  no  less  than  eight  dis- 
tinct LIES,  known  to  be  such  by  any  one  who  has  read  atten- 
tively the  ]^ew  Testament.  Therefore,  since  spirit 
Bacon,  after  being  in  the  spheres  for  nearly  three  cen- 
turies, declares  that  "  he  never  has  seen  Christ,"  {Ibid.^ 
p.  334,)  doubtless  it  is  hereby  shown,  that  being  so  re- 
gardless of  truth,  he  never  will  see  him;  for  by  his  own 
demonstration,  he  is  one  of  the  "  lying  spirits  gone  forth 
into  the  world." 

The  proof  of  this  will  be  more  amplified  by  the  details 
of  the  chapter  on  "Life  in  the  Spheres." 

There  is  a  curious  appendix  to  the  first  volume  of 
"Spiritualism,"  containing  fac-similes  of  the  hand-writ- 
ings of  Dr.  Dexter,  Swedenborg,  Bacon,  Hopper,  and  of 
two  other  spirits  unknown.  There  is  a  marked  difierence 
between  them,  but  a  medical  friend  has  pointed  out  to  us 
the  significant  fact,  that  in  all  of  them,  even  in  the  tremulous 
writings  of  the  old  gentlemen  spirits  Hopper,  and  another, 
the  Vs  are  crossed  with  the  same  hold  stroJce.  This  was 
an  oversight. 

8.  Spirit  Bacon  argues  against  the  personality  of  God, 
and  yet  says :  "  Though  the  very  God  is  a  principle^  yet 
he  is  and  must  be  a  person^''  (Yol.  ii.,  pp.  130,  131.) 
But  Swedenborg  says  :  "  We  can  not  invest  him  with  per- 
sonality because  of  the  identity  of  spirit  with  mat- 
ter" ! 

9.  Spirit  Bacon  thus  discourses :  "  Matter  being  eter- 
nal does  not  prove  that  it  was  from  the  beginning  with 
God.  It  exists  eternally.  God  is  a  principle,  and  also  an 
identity.  If  God  was  from  the  beginning,  and  in  him  was 
all  knowledge,  power,  and  wisdom,  it  must  have  been 
through  these  attributes  that  every  thing  was  created.  To 
suppose  that  matter  existed  ah  initio^  would  confer  on  an 
unconscious  substance  the  same  properties  that  belong  to 


■"^^ 


206  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 


God,  especially  if  he  did  not  create  it ;  or  at  least,  existing 
at  the  same  time  with  him,  it  would  have  had  a  creator 
antecedent  to  God,  who  possessed  more  power  than  he 
did  or  does.  One  remark  is  true,  that  God  pervades 
every  thing.  But  listen.  Let  the  mind  go  back  to  that 
period  when  the  Spirit  of  the  First  Cause  sprang  forth,  self- 
created,  and  in  all  the  glory  of  his  might  and  majesty. 
Imagine,  that  standing  alone  amid  the  everlasting  space, 
he  looks  around  and  sees  nothing  existent  but  an  infinite 
nothing,  and  then  suppose  him  creating  from  his  own 
body  the  several  properties  which  constitute  matter,  and 
from  another  principle  developing  spirit!" 

"  It  may  not  be  amiss  to  inform  you  at  this  time,  that 
among  many  spirits  of  high  estate  there  are  many  who 
believe  God  himself  the  product  of  developed  intelli- 
gence" ! !     (Vol.  ii.,  pp.  237,  238.) 

"  The  soul,  then,  as  you  have  learned,  is  a  part  of  the 
God  himself,  and  it  is  not  an  arbitrary  creation"  !  "The 
soul  is  a  God  of  itself,  for  it  possesses  the  power  of  gener- 
ating thought" !  "  As  it  is  an  emanation  from  the  God, 
it  possesses  much  of  its  nature,  and  it  is  only  its  admix- 
ture with  matter  that  prevents  its  manifesting  the  attri- 
butes which  such  an  origin  has  conferred  upon  it" ! ! 
"The  ultimate  destiny  of  the  soul  is  to  assist  God  in  the 
administration  of  his  laws"  !     {Ibid.^  pp.  314,  315.) 

Spirit  Bacon,  thus  tried  by  its  own  test,  is  shown  to  be 
a  gross  deceiver,  and  although  we  do  not  question  the 
sincerity  of  the  authors  of  "  Spiritualism,"  doling  out  such 
miserable  sentiments  in  two  8vo  volumes,  embracing  1047 
pages  of  matter  of  the  same  absurdity,  blasphemy,  and 
folly,  we  can  not  shield  them  from  their  own  demonstra- 
tion of  enormous  deception  practised  upon  themselves  and 
upon  others ;  nor  ought  we  to  refrain  from  exposing  the 
fraud  of  this  monstrous  system  of  heathenism  and  demon- 


HEAVEN  NOT  DESCRIBED.  20 7 

craft,  by  which  they  seek  to  assail  the  principles  of 
Christianity  and  the  Bible,  and  to  subvert  the  faith  of 
men  to  their  everlasting  ruin. 

The  Bible  gives  us  no  description  of  the  world  to  come. 
Its  outline  drawings  of  the  facts  and  realities  of  the 
future,  are  enough  to  overwhelm  the  soul.  We  have,  it 
is  true,  a  glowing  assemblage  of  images  in  the  Revelation 
of  John,  but  they  are  so  differently  combined  from  the 
groupings  of  earth,  with  which  we  are  famihar,  that  they 
Avere  evidently  intended  to  convey  but  a  general  idea  of 
the  magnificence  and  glory  that  surround  the  saints  in 
light.  After  all  that  has  been  said  iu  the  Bible,  to  give  im- 
pressiveness  to  that  idea,  IhQ  failure  to  describe^  suggested 
in  every  seeming  approximation,  leaves  the  most  power- 
ful impression  upon  the  heart. 

When  Paul  was  caught  up  to  the  third  heaven,  we  are 
told  that  he  "  heard  unspeakable  words,"  (and  doubtless 
saw  indescribable  things,)  "  which  it  is  not  lawful  for  man 
to  utter ;"  not  that  there  was  an  express  prohibition  of 
utterance,  but  he  was  not  able  to  make  any  delineation 
adequate  to  the  subject,  or  appreciable  by  the  human 
mind  with  its  present  experience  and  limited  powers  of 
conception.  N"othing  can  convey  to  us  a  more  exalted 
idea  of  the  state  of  the  blessed,  than  the  scene  of  the 
transfiguration  of  Christ,  when  Moses  and  Elias  appeared 
talking  with  him  on  the  mount,  connected  with  that  en- 
rapturing assurance,  we  Jcnow  that  when  he  shall  appear^ 
we  shall  he  like  him;  but  of  the  place  and  its  visual  glories 
as  they  actually  fall  upon  the  sight  of  the  inhabitants  of 
heaven,  we  can  have  no  description,  for  there  is  no  ma- 
terial in  human  thought  or  language,  out  of  which  it  can 
be  made.  The  reason,  therefore,  is  quite  satisfactory. 
Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  have  entered  the 
heart  of  man,  the  things  which  Qod  hath  prepared  for 


208  A  THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

them  that  love  him.  Hence  we  at  once  perceive  the 
propriety  of  the  omission,  which  the  modern  revelations 
seem  most  ambitious  to  supply. 

There  is  nothing  more  certain  than  that  the  human 
mind  has  an  innate  sense  of  the  dignity  of  this  theme,  and 
it  can  never  approach  it  without  strangely  commingled 
feelings  of  desire,  and  reverence,  and  awe.  To  whom  this 
sense  is  intensified  by  the  Scriptures,  wrought  up  into  the 
thoughts  of  all  who  have  properly  and  profitably  pe- 
rused them,  the  venture  of  our  SpirituaHsts  will  appear 
hazardous,  and  wiU  furnish  a  most  decisive  test  of  the 
entire  falsity  of  their  system.  Did  their  communications 
speak  to  the  heart  in  a  voice,  and  with  such  ideas  that 
bear  home  their  own  evidence  of  heavenly  origin  to  the 
spirituality  of  our  being ;  and  with  an  ability  to  satisfy  the 
wants  and  aspirations  of  the  soul,  actually  elicit  the  feel- 
mg,  "  this  is  all  my  nature  needs,  and  all  it  craves,"  they 
might  claim  the  respect  of  mankind :  but  as  they  only 
speak  to  the  carnality  and  the  earthliness  of  our  nature, 
they  bear  their  own  evidence  of  imposture  and  deceit. 

To  settle  this  matter,  we  present  the  following  extracts 
descriptive  of  "  Life  in  the  Spheres,"  allowing  our  Spirit- 
ualists to  speak  for  themselves. 

"The  most  elevated  specimens  of  the  spiritual  litera- 
ture," says  Dr.  Hare,  "  would  no  doubt  be  found  in  the 
communications  from  Swedenborg  and  Lord  Bacon,  in 
Judge  Edmonds's  and  Dr.  Dexter's  first  and  second  vol- 
umes."   "We,  then,  are  on  sure  groimd. 

the  spheees. 

"  The  idea  of  spheres  is  but  imperfectly  understood,  and 
the  statements  on  that  subject  received  and  recognized  as 
true,  are  so  but  in  part,  as  spirits  know  but  little  of  space 
beyond  the  sphere  they  occupy.     Spirits,  after  leaving  the 


THE  SPHERES.  209 

body,  are  conducted  to  localities  adapted  to  the  capacities 
and  the  condition  of  their  minds,  in  reference  to  educa- 
tion, society,  and  progress.  Thus,  a  highly  educated 
mind — one  familiar  with  all  the  knowledge  of  the  schools, 
of  strong  desires  to  understand  the  laws  of  nature,  and  of 
an  affinity  with  the  purity  and  attributes  of  the  Creator 
— is  conducted  to  a  globe  or  planet  adapted  by  its  local- 
ity and  formation  to  develop  the  properties  of  his  mind 
to  an  approach  nearer  to  the  plane  where  the  Spirit  of 
God  is  most  manifest  in  all  its  power  and  glory. 

"  A  man  who  has  Hved  on  earth  until  old  age,  who  has 
cultivated  his  mind  and  desires,  dies. 

"  Now,  in  proportion  to  his  spiritual  development  does 
his  spirit  seek  that  place  in  which  he  will  meet  with  cor- 
responding circumstances,  which  will  assist  him  in  accom- 
plishing the  more  intense  action  of  his  mind,  caused  by 
the  loss  of  his  grosser  part,  or  body. 

"  When  he  arrives  at  the  place  of  his  residence,  his  body 
assumes  the  characteristics  of  the  inhabitants  of  that  place, 
whose  organization  is,  of  course,  more  ethereal  and  spiritual 
than  if  born  on  this  earth.  As  spirits  do  not  all  possess 
the  same  degree  of  purity  of  nature,  they,  of  course,  must 
seek  a  like  congeniahty  of  organization,  desires,  and  attri- 
butes."    {Spiritualism,  vol.  i.,  pp.  110-112.) 

Spirit  Swedenborg  says : 

"  Now  spirits  possess  a  material  nature,  and  this  nature 
or  form  in  some  is  so  gross,  that  it  is  almost  subject  to 
laws  as  imperative  as  those  on  earth.  I  mean  as  material 
laws.  Their  material  nature  is  under  influences  which  re- 
quire obedience,  and  though  there  is  none  of  the  physical 
suffering  you  have,  yet  there  is  as  much  material  neces- 
sity and  absolute  want  in  proportion  to  the  grossness  of 
their  natures  as  there  possibly  can  be  in  your  material 
world. 

"  Under  this  statement  you  can  plainly  see  what  will 
follow. 

"Thus  we  have  as  much  of  life  with  us  as  with  you  under 
the  wants  of  our  nature,  and  it  would  be  simple  in  the  ex- 
treme to  suppose  for  a  moment  that  God  made  a  material . 


210  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

solid  earth,  and  placed  in  it  spirits  who  were  so  impal- 
pable that  they  could  not  adapt  either  their  bodies  or 
spirits  to  the  necessities  of  climate,  of  soil,  of  food,  etc.  But 
we  are  sent  to  places  (by  our  affinities  always)  where  we 
can  comply  with  all  the  circumstances,  just  as  you  do  when 
you  select  a  place  to  reside,  though  our  population  is  di- 
vided more  rationally,  more  justly,  than  are  the  divisions 
of  classes  with  you.  We  eat  and  drink  of  the  fruits  and 
vegetables  of  the  countries  where  we  reside.  This,  how- 
ever, we  do  always,  as  far  as  I  can  learn ;  for  as  long  as 
matter  exists,  it  can  not  maintain  itself  without  support 
from  some  external  source.  And  then  if  we  eat,  there 
must  be  some  one  to  grow  the  food,  for  the  climates  do 
not  always  produce  spontaneously  food  for  all.  But  this 
is  a  matter  of  choice  who  shall  labor,  and  we  all,  in  our 
neighborhoods,  take  turns  in  so  doing,  and  thus  all  do 
their  duty  to  themselves  and  others.  Most  frequently 
spirits  associate  together  in  neighborhoods  or  commu- 
nities, composed  of  members  varying  from  fifty  to  five 
hundred,  and  while  the  absorbing  topics  of  progression 
and  purity,  of  development  and  affection,  occupy  our 
minds  mostly,  yet  the  usual  duties  of  material  life  are  just 
as  incumbent  on  us  as  with  you,  always  modified  by  our 
organization  and  the  circumstances  in  which  we  are  situ- 
ated, and  the  place  where  our  affinities  direct  us."  (Ibid., 
p.  167.) 

SWEDEXBOKG'S   ACCOUNT   OF   HIS   EXIT. 

"  I  had  lived  to  impart  to  the  world  the  realities  which 
were  unfolded  to  my  mortal  vision  of  the  various  condi- 
tions and  states  of  the  world  I  now  inhabit.  I  had  lived 
pure  and  unspotted,  and  when  I  left  the  world  I  was 
ushered  into  what  has  been  stated  as  the  sixth  sphere. 

"  But  in  the  course  of  the  great  revolution  which  took 
place  in  my  opinions  on  many  subjects,  it  became  neces- 
sary that  I  should  -visit  many  of  the  departments  of  spirit 
life,  and  thus,  and  by  conversation  with  and  accounts 
given  me  by  other  spirits,  I  have  become  acquainted  with 
many  of  the  facts  which  I  now  inculcate. 

Let  it  be  understood,  then,  first,  that  this  is  a  world 
occupied  by  spirits,  or,  rather,  men,  women,  and  children, 


SWEDENBORG'S   ACCOUNT.  211 

mingling  as  their  desires,  tastes,  inclinations  or  pleasures 
impel  tliem,  accomplishing  and  carrying  out  the  great  ob- 
jects of  their  formation,  the  development  of  the  spirit  it- 
self to  that  exact  state  when  and  where  it  will  manifest 
the  properties  and  attributes  so  corresponding  to  those 
of  the  Great  First  Cause,  that  they  can  live  and  exist 
eternally  in  direct  communication  and  connection  with  all 
that  possibly  can  be  known  or  realized  as  God ;  and, 
second,  that  the  different  spheres  are  localities  assigned  to 
the  progressed  spirits,  and  they  represent  a  state  of  eleva^ 
tion,  and  are  reached  only  by  a  still  more  sublimated  and 
refined  materiality  and  advance  of  knowledge  and  good- 
ness of  the  souls  than  belonged  to  the  bodies  or  spirits 
occupying  the  sphere  below. 

"  Now  when  I  arrived  at  the  sixth  sphere,  I  found  my- 
self surrounded  by  spirits  whom  I  had  known  on  earth, 
and  was  immediately  made  a  member  of  a  community, 
composed,  for  the  most  part,  of  spirits  of  relatives  or 
friends  with  whom  I  was  connected  in  life.  The  newness 
of  every  thing  impressed  me  with  delight.  The  air  was 
pure,  and  the  whole  heavens  were  bright  and  clear  beyond 
all  comparison.  I  saw  no  difference  in  the  sky,  except  its 
brightness  and  purity;  and  on  looking  abroad  on  the 
earth,  I  could  detect  no  difference  in  its  appearance  from 
our  earth,  except  in  the  heavenly  beauty  and  harmony  in 
the  arrangement  of  the  landscape.  The  diversified  cha- 
racter of  the  scenery,  the  mountains,  not  ragged  and  steep 
as  on  earth,  but  rounded  with  every  regard  to  the  har- 
mony and  beauty  of  all  the  other  scenery ;  the  trees,  the 
rocks  and  mountains,  the  flowers  and  birds,  the  gushing 
torrents  and  the  murmuring  rivulets,  the  oceans  and 
rivers,  man,  woman,  and  chUd,  all  passed  before  me,  so 
far  excelling  every  thing  I  had  conceived  or  imagined  in 
the  beauty  of  form,  in  the  glorious  demonstrations  of  their 
nature,  in  the  palpable  and  evident  exhibition  that  they 
were  beings  who  inhabited  an  earth  near  to  the  gates 
of  heaven,  that  my  spirit,  lifted  beyond  itself,  sprung  forth 
in  one  spontaneous  gush  of  love  and  praise,  and  I  blessed 
God  who  had  vouchsafed  to  me  the  privilege  I  then  en- 
joyed. 

"  We  occupy  earth — tangible,  positive  earth — as  much 


212  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

as  your  earth ;  but  the  advanced  state  of  both  spirit  and 
locality  renders  it  unnecessary  for  us  to  labor  much  to  ob- 
tain food  for  the  support  of  our  bodies.  Then,  again,  the 
earth  brings  forth  spontaneously  most  of  the  food  required 
for  our  bodies.  And  I  would  say,  the  advanced  spirits 
do  not  require  as  much  food  as  those  who  are  below  them. 
Their  bodies,  in  every  sphere  to  which  they  are  elevated, 
lose  a  portion  of  their  grossness,  and  as  they  are  more  re- 
fined, they  become  more  Hke  the  spirit  itself.  We  have 
trees — real  trees  and  flowers,  and  mountains  and  rivers, 
and  rocks,  and  every  thing  material."     {Ihid.^  174-176.) 

THE  CONDITION   OP  BAD  AND  PKOGEESSING   SPIRITS. 

"  I  do  not  imagine  the  moral  condition  of  the  spirits  of 
the  lower  spheres  differs  materially  from  the  moral  con- 
dition of  the  unprogressive  man  in  your  world.  They 
may,  it  is  true,  have  moments  when  their  spirits  yearn  for 
the  brighter  spheres  beyond  their  dark  plane,  when,  con- 
scious of  its  birthright,  the  soul  awakens  to  a  sense  of  its 
own  degradation,  and  realizes  its  true  situation  ;  but  they 
Hve  and  act  as  unprogressive  man  does,  daily  performing 
their  accustomed  round  of  malicious  action,  and  carrying 
out  the  designs  of  their  blunted  perceptions  ;  and  it  is  not 
till  some  event,  out  of  the  ordinary  occurrences  of  life, 
arouses  them  completely,  and  opens  their  understandings 
for  the  reception  of  truth,  that  they  begin  to  progress. 
There  is  so  httle  difference  in  the  whole  action  of  spirit 
life  from  your  life,  except  that  one  step  forward  has  been 
made,  (I  do  not  refer  to  the  higher  spheres,  of  course,)  that 
the  correspondence  is  almost  exact.  Their  remorse,  when 
made  sensible  of  their  wickedness,  must  be  more  keenly 
felt  than  by  man.  Here  they  can  have  the  tangible  evi- 
dence of  truth,  of  the  beauty  of  holiness.  With  you, 
much,  of  course,  must  be  appreciatory. 

"  But  when  the  spirit  is  awakened  to  a  full  view  of  all 
that  is  before  him,  with  the  bright  spirits  of  friends  and 
relations  near  him,  with  all  that  can  assure  him  and  sup- 
port him,  then  it  is  that  the  full  consciousness  of  his  de- 
gradation crushes  him  Hke  a  weed ;  his  agony  is  indeed 
overpowering.    It  is  the  terrible  workings  of  repentance 


» 


CONDITION   OP   SPIRITS.  213 


in  spirit  divested  of  the  grossness  of  materiality.  {Ibid.^ 
p.  230.) 

"  Nature,  or  God,  never  develops  any  thing  at  once  or 
immediately.  Every  thing  has  its  beginning,  its  increase, 
its  progress,  and  may  be,  its  decline.  But  to  man,  this 
sudden  upturning  of  all  that  applies  to  his  nature  and  to 
his  habits  is,  in  my  opinion,  equivalent  to  a  new  construc- 
tion. But  when  the  heart  that  has  constantly  contem- 
plated the  goodness  of  God,  the  emanations  of  his  hands, 
and  the  gushing  tenderness  of  his  love,  when  it  for 
years  struggled  to  subvert  all  that  is  of  error  or  wrong 
in  its  very  imaginings,  then  when  convicted  of  that 
wrong,  it  bows  its  soul  in  very  misery  before  its  own 
weakness,  it  looks  only  to  God  for  help  and  assistance. 

Thus,  I  say,  the  progressive  spirit  suffers  more  of  what 
may  be  called  hell,  than  even  the  degraded  spirit,  and 
can  only  begin  to  suffer  when  it  begins  to  rise. 

Every  spirit  has  some  daily  duty.  They  work  for  the 
benefit  of  themselves  and  the  good  of  all.  They  are 
divided  by  their  own  wishes  and  tastes  into  all  those 
classes  which  emanate  from  the  various  necessities  and 
conveniences  of  community.  But  their  labor  is  compara- 
tively light,  and  their  time  is  occupied  a  good  deal  in  the 
higher  labors  of  thought,  social  intercourse,  visiting,  and 
study.  In  addition,  they  develop  beauty  whenever  and 
wherever  they  can,  and  thus  they  bring  themselves  nearer 
to  truth  by  impressing  on  their  souls  the  idea  of  its  na- 
ture. From  the  sparkling  star  which  twinkles  in  the  dis- 
tance, to  the  full  blaze  of  the  noonday  sun ;  ay,  from  the 
little  pebble  to  the  lofty  mountain,  whose  jagged  rocks 
turn  toward  their  Creator ;  from  the  vilest  creeping  evi- 
dence of  life,  through  aR  and  every  part  of  creation,  to 
the  man  who  is  at  its  head,  God  has  made  and  fashioned 
every  thing  as  beautiful,  and  taught  us  to  consider  the 
works  of  his  hands  as  good. 

Spirits  visit  much,  and  it  seems  as  much  a  part  of  their 
lives  to  visit  their  friends,  as  it  is  faithfully  to  perform 
their  other  obligations.  Thus  they  visit  their  friends  in 
the  sphere  to  which  they  belong,  or  the  sphere  below 
them.  But  their  longest  visits,  and  those  considered 
most  a  duty,  are  those  which  they  make  to  their  friends 


214  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

on  earth.  That  occupies  no  little  portion  of  their  time, 
and  while  with  you  they  are  accomplishing  some  one  of 
the  specific  duties  which  are  required  of  them  in  the 
sphere  to  which  they  belong. 

When  visiting  a  sick  friend,  they  stay  as  long  as  it  may 
be  consistent  with  their  feelings,  or  the  state  of  the  dis- 
ease. And  when  a  death  occurs,  they  are  ready  to  re- 
ceive the  spirit.  When  a  friend  is  depressed  in  feeling, 
or  has  some  great  trouble  to  overcome,  or  when  he  or 
she  has  sufiered  from  the  wrong  of  other  friends,  or  when 
about  to  do  wrong,  or  when  about  to  do  good,  then  it  is 
that  they  flock  around,  and  by  then-  impressions  aid,  or 
try  to  direct,  as  may  be  proper. 

But  the  time  is  passed  almost,  and  I  must  leave.  Good- 
night."    {Ibid.,  pp.  232,  233.) 

*'  Now  in  the  second  sphere,  there  are  many  places  or 
planets  occupied  by  spirits,  and  it  goes  to  one  or  the 
other  in  obedience  to  this  law,  and  there  remains  until  it 
is  ushered  into  the  sphere  above.  It  finds  the  land  or 
earth  which  it  inhabits  organized  like  your  own,  requiring 
labor  to  develop  its  resources,  and  that  it  is  incumbent 
on  it  to  labor  for  its  own  good  as  well  as  others'.  And 
here  let  me  say,  that,  in  the  spheres,  labor  is  substantially 
the  first  fealty  demanded  in  any  community  of  any 
person  who  may  claim  to  be  a  member.  It  is  the  great 
characteristic  of  the  spirit-land,  and  is  recognized  as  of 
God. 

In  the  second  sphere,  the  organization  being  less  refin- 
ed than  in  the  spheres  above,  the  new  spirit  olten  finds  it 
necessary  to  shelter  its  body  from  the  sun  or  storm ;  not 
because  it  gives  it  pain,  or  that  it  would  induce  sickness 
or  disease  to  expose  its  body  to  all  the  variations  of  tem- 
perature, but  that  its  pleasures  are  enhanced  by  its  com- 
pliance with  all  the  laws  of  nature ;  and  to  expose  the 
body  to  cold  or  wet,  with  its  organization  not  entirely 
freed  from  all  admixture  of  earth,  would  diminish  the 
real  pleasure  it  would  receive  from  shelter  or  protection. 
Consequently,  it  erects  its  habitations,  and  clothes  its 
body,  and  looks  out  for  the  means  of  sustaining  its 
strength,  or,  rather,  of  providing  for  its  appetite.  Learn, 
also,  that  the  laws  of  nature,  in  their  application  to  the 


CONDITION    OF   SPIRITS.  ^  215 

material  body  of  tlie  spirit,  are  so  properly  appreciated 
by  the  spirit,  that  while  a  idolation  would  not  produce 
disease  or  pain,  yet  the  spirit  who  neglects  or  refuses 
compliance  is  degraded,  as  a  punishment  for  such  infrac- 
tion of  what  it  knows  to  be  right.  And  this  is  not  in- 
flicted by  any  tribunal,  but  takes  place  as  a  natural  con- 
sequent ;  the  spirit  sinks  lower  and  lower,  till  its  density 
bears  it  to  the  places  below  the  earth."     (Ibid.^  p.  197.) 

BAD   SPIRITS   HAYE   GOT  TO   FARM    IT   ON  A   SAND-PLAIN !  ! 

"  I  think  I  mentioned  that  it  was  said  that  their  place 
of  residence  was  a  large  plain,  and  I  here  remark  that  the 
plain  is  almost  entirely  alike  in  every  part,  suggesting 
scarcely  any  feeling  of  beauty  or  love  of  it,  and  is  reHev- 
ed  only  by  one  mountain.  It  is  here  that  the  spirits  toil 
and  wrangle.  They  labor,  of  course,  more  than  the  ad- 
vanced spirits,  as  their  organization,  being  more  dense, 
requires  more  to  support  it.  They  can  not  rise  without 
a  great  effort,  and  being  always  compelled  to  associate 
with  spirits  whose  internal  is  of  the  same  erroneous  and 
dark  character,  it  generates  all  kinds  of  contentions  and 
disputes,  and,  perhaps,  deceit  and  falsehood.  At  any 
rate,  their  aflinities  for  good  are,  as  it  were,  suspended. 
They  do  not  possess  the  power  to  see  the  thought  before 
its  utterance,  but  they  act  toward  each  other  as  man  and 
man  on  earth,  that  is,  not  entirely  so,  but  nearly  in  the 
same  manner. 

"  Their  habits  of  life  correspond  with  the  tone  and  cha- 
racter of  their  minds.  They  have  no  pleasures,  no  asso- 
ciates. They  do  not  study.  They  do  not  sing,  write,  or 
enjoy  life  in  any  way,  except  the  delight  they  may  have 
in  tormenting  those  around.  They  toil  for  sustenance^ 
and  as  their  land  is  sandy ^  and  no  sun-light^  there  must 
be  great  labor  to  enable  the  earth  to  bring  forth  enough  to 
sustain  them:'  !  !  !     {Ibid.,  pp.  221,  222.) 

PRIESTS,    ALIAS    MINISTERS    OF    THE    GOSPEL,    IN    THE    BAD 


PLACE 


\  f 


One  of  them  thus  complains  :    "  For  the  wicked  shall 
be  cast  into  hell,  and  all  the  nations  that  forget  God. 


^■- 

216  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

This  is  a  solemn  thought,  my  hearers,  and  one  on  which 
we  should  prayerfully  and  candidly  exercise  our  minds. 
Yea,  verily.  It  is  a  solemn  thought.  The  wicked  shaU 
be  cast  into  heU,  where  the  worm  never  dies,  and  the  fire 
is  never  quenched.  Oh  !  my  friends,  flee  from  the  wrath 
to  come.  Put  away  your  sins,  lest  the  Son  of  Man  come 
in  the  night-time;  and,  O  ye  sinners!  beware  lest  ye 
tempt  an  angry  God ! 

"  This  was  the  doctrine  I  preached  on  earth,  this  the  way 
in  which  I  filled  the  poor  human  heart  with  fear  and 
trembling,  with  shrinking  from  a  kind  and  beneficent  God, 
whose  only  manifestation  is  smiling  on  his  creatures,  by 
calling  him  angry  !  by  crying  up  hell-fire,  the  horrors  of 
those  who  disobey,  and  distorting  every  thing  to  suit  my 
own  peculiar  views.  I  thought  I  was  doing  right  and 
God  a  service  by  upholding  these  gloomy  dogmas  which 
I  gave  forth  with  such  a  zeal,  with  such  bitter  denuncia- 
tions against  the  erring  mortals  who  should  have  been 
encouraged  and  dealt  kindly  with,  and  not  horrified  and 
frightened  with  the  contemplation  of  death. 

"  I  thus  departed  from  earth,  feeling  happy  that  I  had 
done  my  duty  and  borne  my  cross,  and  might  enter  into  the 
joysofmy  Father's  house.  I  entered  the  spirit  world,  but  was 
not  met  by  the  rejoicing  and  bright  angels  I  expected  ; 
by  some  friends,  to  be  sure,  but  their  countenances  were 
sad  and  gloomy ;  there  was  evidently  something  on  their 
minds.  Instead  of  rejoicing  and  songs  of  praise,  it  was 
rather  a  gloomy  and  mournful  greeting  on  my  first  entrance, 
and  a  sadness  came  over  my  soul.  I  asked  how  is  this  ? 
Why  should  heaven  seem  so  gloomy  a  place  ?  I  said, 
'  Friends,  can  you  tell  me  the  reason?  There  is  no  rejoic- 
ing, no  gladness  in  your  looks.  You  have  some  inward 
sorrow.  Pray  convey  me  to  Him  whose  cause  I  have 
served.  Let  me  see  the  Saviour  who  died  on  the  cross  to 
redeem  sinners.  Give  me  something  to  repay  me  for  all 
my  labor.  ' 

"  One  venerable-looking  brother,  whom  I  had  known 
on  earth,  approached  me  solemnly,  and  taking  my  hand, 
said  :  '  Our  life-teachings  have  been  wrong.  They  have 
caused  more  mourning  and  shrinking  from  the  approach 


m 


CONDITION   OF   SPIRITS.  217 

of  death  than  happiness,  driving  hundreds  away  by  their 
asperity  who  would  have  been  glad  to  gaze  beyond  the 
veil  of  eternity.'  I  asked,  '  Can  it  be  possible  that  my 
whole  life  has  been  spent  wrongly,  that  I  hved  an  inhar- 
monious life,  that  instead  of  doing  God  service,  I  have 
done  evil  towards  my  fellow-men  ?' 

"My  soul  was  so  troubled  and  cast  down,  that  after 
pausing  a  while,  I  said  to  that  brother,  *  What  shall  I  do 
to  be  saved  ?'  He  said,  '  When  you  shall  see  your  errors, 
and  be  wilhng  to  go  down  and  redeem  the  wrong  you 
have  done  in  the  hearts  which  are  there,  then,  and  not 
tiU  then,  will  you  begin  your  path  of  ascension,  and  by 
your  labor  blot  out  your  own  sins  by  assisting  others  to 
blot  out  theirs.' 

"  And,  my  friends,  as  soon  as  I  was  made  conscious  of 
my  error,  I  began  my  work.  I  gave  up  my  narrow  con- 
ceptions of  the  Deity.  Grovelling  worm  that  I  was,  how 
little  did  I  know  of  the  majesty  of  God !  I  began  ear- 
nestly and  trustfully  to  cast  away  the  chains  that  bound 
my  soul.  I  began  my  labors.  And,  oh,  yes,  it  w^as  a  la- 
bor, indeed,  sufficient  to  wash  away  my  many  sins^  when 
I  shall  have  washed  away  the  errors  from  those  minds 
whose  ignorance  was  made  darker  by  my  errors,  and  who 
might  now  have  been  farther  advanced  but  for  my  teach- 
ings. 

"  I  am  now  ascending.  I  begin  to  see  the  beauties  of 
the  spirit  world,  and  the  tears  fill  my  eyes  when  I  think 
what  I  might  have  been. 

"  Friends  !  thank  your  God  that  you  are  free,  and  that 
you  are  on  the  road  far  ahead,  far  in  advance  of  many  of 
the  dwellers  in  the  spirit  land."  (Ihid.^  321-323.) 


SPIEIT  BACON'S  INVECTIVE   AGAINST  PRIESTS. 

'-'Friday,  Oct.  2^th,  1853. 

"This   evening  the   Bishop   of  ,   and    Doctor 

-,  of  Kentucky,  were  in  my  library,  with  the  Doc- 


tor and  myself  The  Bishop  was  investigating,  and 
avowed  himself  a  behever  in  spiritual  intercourse  ;  but  he 
betrayed  an  ignorance  of  the  nature   of  spirit  and  the 

10 


• 


218  A    THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

life  after  death,  that  showed  he  had  thought  little  on  the 
subject,  and  that  was  marvellous  to  me  in  a  high  dignitary 
of  the  Church.  After  they  had  gone,  Lord  Bacon 
wrote : 

"'I  was  somewhat  inclined  to  answer  the  Bishop  cava- 
lierly when  he  asked  me  to  write  the  Apostles'  Creed  in 
Latin.  I  have  forgot  both  the  apostles  and  the  creed 
long  ago,  and  hope  I  shall  not  again  be  subjected  to  the 
indignity  of  learning  it.  But,  Judge,  how  httle  the  se- 
crets of  the  priesthood  are  understood,  and  how  little  their 
avocation  is  understood !  How  powerful  a  hold  have 
they  on  the  minds  of  the  world,  and  how  little  good  real- 
ly have  they  accomphshed. 

"  'They  claim  that  they  are  the  advanced  guard  of  civ- 
ilization, and  that  they  have  hung  out  the  banner  of  truth 
on  the  outer  wall  of  human  progress  !  Alas  !  for  human 
nature,  which  has  suffered  them  to  triumphantly  dictate 
to  its  ignorance  what  their  reason  feared  to  investigate  ! 
Alas  !  lor  the  world  which  would  submit  to  the  dictation 
of  men,  who,  proclaiming  that  they  understand  the  laws 
of  God,  are  inculcating  the  errors  of  their  creed  or  sect. 

"  '  Priests  of  God  ?  Holy  men  ?  They  are  but  the 
drones  of  society — the  very  worms  of  life  which  prey  on 
the  finest  feelings  of  man's  nature — the  instincts  of  his 
soul.  They  priests  ?  Yes,  the  priests  of  ignorance — the 
very  barriers  of  progressive  inquiry  ;  for  they  trammel 
thought,  confine  reason,  and  send  the  mis-born  soul  into 
the  spirit  world  without  the  least  knowledge  of  his  des- 
tiny. 

"  '  Look  abroad  over  the  world,  and  ask  yourselves  who 
is  it  that  has  accomplished  all  that  has  stimulated  man  to 
search,  investigate,  and  seek  out  from  nature  the  secrets 
which  advance  his  mind  and  give  to  his  soul  the  first 
gleam  of  hope  everlasting  ?  lias  it  been  the  priesthood  ? 
Has  it  been  the  ministers  of  God  ?  No  ;  for  they  have 
tortured  the  chosen  spirits  of  any  age  when  they  have 
differed  from  them  in  form  or  tenet.  They  have  barred 
up  all  outlets  of  human  enterprise  and  knowledge,  un- 
less it  conformed  to  their  dictum.  They  have  sent  their 
hirelings  into  every  household,  a,nd  have  bound  on  the  rack 


INVECTIVE  AGAINST  PRIESTS.  219 

the  good  and  true,  the  aged  and  young,  when  they  have 
diiFered  one  iota  from  the  severe  laws  they  have  laid  down 
for  the  rule  of  man.  Not  content  with  driving  man  to  de- 
spair in  life,  they  have  sent  his  spirit  howling  into  the 
spheres,  with  their  anathemas  following  him  like  an  ac- 
cursed spirit  when  he  reached  there.  They  pretend  to 
minister  to  a  mind  diseased,  but  they  have  made  the 
death-bed  a  dice-box,  by  which  the  everlasting  happiness 
of  some  good  man  was  cast  on  the  hazard  of  their  ap- 
proval. Alas  !  for  the  priesthood  !  Alas  !  when  they  pre- 
tend to  teach  man  the  destiny  of  his  soul ! 

"  '  But  look  again,  and  ask  yourselves,  what  have  they 
done  ?  They  have  taken  one  book,  called  the  Bible,  and 
from  this  they  have  fashioned  laws  which  limit  all  inquiry 
beyond  this  source,'"  etc.  etc.  (Ihid.^  2*72,  273.) 

"Do  you,  gentlemen,  who  have  seen  much  of  life,  mingled 
with  all  classes  of  society  and  all  kinds  of  men,  you  who 
have  measured  intellect  with  intellect,  and  have  wandered 
through  many  a  mazy  path  to  arrive  at  your  present  po- 
sitions, do  you  really  feel  that  all  your  early  understand- 
ing of  religious  teaching  has  in  fact  opened  to  your  minds 
one  truism  in  regard  to  your  present  or  future  state  ?  Do 
you  reahze  what  the  character  and  attributes  of  God  may 
be  from  the  sermon  of  a  Presbyterian  or  a  Dutch  Reform- 
er ?  Or  do  the  teachings  of  either  sect  give  you  better 
assurance  of  the  nature  of  the  spirit  that  is  within  you  ? 
Perhaps  one  or  the  other  of  you  has,  in  early  life,  embraced 
the  doctrine  of  free  salvation,  and  yet  are  you  any  better 
satisfied  that  your  chance  of  safety  beyond  the  grave  is 
of  more  value  than  another  man's,  who  may  differ  in  belief 
from  you?  Can  you  place  your  finger  on  one  statement, 
in  all  the  teachings  of  priest  or  layman,  which  is  truth- 
fully explanatory  of  what  the  true  object  of  life  is  ?" 
(Vol.  i.,  pp.  151,  152.) 

JOY  IN  HEAVEN  OVER  THE  JUDGE'S  LETTER. 

^''  Sunday^  Aug.  Ith^  1853. 
"  This  evening,  at  the  circle  at  Dr.  Dexter's,  (it  being 
the  next  day  aifter  my  letter  had  appeared,*)  it  was 
written : 

*  Allndinj?  to  my  letter  to  the  public  of  the  date  of  lat  Auojust,  1853, 


220  A    THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

" '  My  children,  let  your  minds  imagine  a  sphere,  or, 
rather,  a  locality,  exquisitely  beautiful,  diversitied  with 
every  variety  of  scenery,  with  lofty  mountains  stretching 
out  far  in  the  distance,  and  broad  valleys  teeming  with 
vegetation  of  most  luxuriant  growth,  with  noble  rivers 
flowing  through  these  valleys,  and  deep  forests  skirting 
the  sides  of  these  mountains ;  imagine  plains  and  undula- 
ting surfaces  laid  out  in  fields  and  gardens,  with  flowers 
of  every  hue  and  odor,  and  here  and  there  beautiful  resi- 
dences scattered  over  the  whole  territory ;  imagine,  in 
fact,  a  world  most  beautiful  in  its  harmonious  blending 
of  the  practical  with  the  artistic,  and  in  the  divine  order 
with  which  every  arrangement  has  been  made  for  the 
pleasure  and  profit  of  those  beings  who  were  to  inhabit 
it.  Then  imagine  this  world  filled  with  an  almost  untold 
number  of  intelUgent  spu-its,  whose  thoughts  are  con- 
stantly directed  to  those  subjects  which  will  conduce 
most  to  the  development  of  mind,  which  will  elicit  most 
of  good  from  every  thing  around,  and  which  will  contri- 
bute most  to  the  advancement  of  one  another  resident  in 
that  locality,  and  their  same  race  on  your  earth.  Ima- 
gine, too,  that  these  beings  are  interested  in  every  thing 
which  tends  to  the  advancement  of  truth,  and  to  the  re- 
moval of  every  impediment  which  may  obstruct  the  re- 
ciprocal action  of  that  truth  in  its  upward  progress  from 
earth  toward  heaven,  and  then  imagine  the  deep,  the  fer- 
vent, the  enthusiastic,  and  the  abiding  interest  with  which 
these  beings  have  considered  the  wisdom  or  the  practica- 
bihty  of  the  publication  of  Judge  Edmonds's  letter,  and 
the  efiect  which  that  letter  has  had  on  the  public  mind, 
now  that  the  press  has  given  utterance  to  the  sentiments 
it  contains.  Words  can  convey  no  adequate  conception 
of  the  absorbing  desire  which  animates  every  individual 
to  see  for  himself  or  herself  what  its  influence  may  be, 
not  only  on  the  minds  of  their  friends,  but  also  on  the 
feehngs  of  those  persons  who  have  opposed  spirit  revela- 
tion from  the  beginning  to  the  present  time.  There  are 
gatherings  here  and  there.  Under  the  shade  of  some 
majestic  tree  you  will  picture  a  party  of  men  and  women 
discussing,  in  terms  of  no  common  interest,  this  letter. 
In  some  house,  where  there  may  be  friends  visiting,  and 


THE  LETTER.  221 

from  other  localities,  (whose  affinities  correspond,)  you 
will  see  the  delight,  the  anxiety,  the  confidence,  the  hope 
and  the  faith  which  are  expressed  in  the  countenances  of 
both  the  friends  and  their  visitors.  In  the  depths  of  the 
forest,  and  amid  the  silence  of  nature,  you  may  imagine 
spirits  meeting  spirits,  and  the  first  salutation  is,  "The 
Judge's  letter  is  out."  In  the  conferences  on  subjects 
belonging  to  the  government  of  neighborhoods  or  com- 
munities, the  busiaess  is  deferred,  and  the  talk  is  about 
this  letter.  Spirits  traversing  the  air,  and  meeting  in 
space  with  other  spirits,  stop  and  accost  one  another,  and, 
while  floating  on  the  transparent  medium,  they  ask,  "What 
will  be  the  influence  of  this  first  direct  onset  on  the  an- 
cient superstition  and  errors  of  the  world  ?" 

"  'We  are  satisfied ;  and  we  trust  that  what  of  pain  there 
may  be  in  this  efibrt,  the  good  it  may  do  will  compensate 
for  all  anxiety  and  care,  and  afford  a  joy  so  pure  and  last- 
ing that  it  shall  satisfy  the  soul  that  it  can  really  feel  the 
links  of  that  chain  which  cements  it  with  these  spheres 
and  eternity. 

"  '  Oh  !  when  a  duty  has  been  done,  and  the  spirit  which 
has  shrunk  and  hesitated  has  at  last  boldly  dared  to  do 
and  acknowledge  truth,  how  its  responses  tell  to  the 
vibrating  feelings  of  the  soul,  "  I  am  indeed  for  ever, 
and  I  know  that  I  am  ascending ;  I  know  that  I  am  of 

God."  SWEDENBOKG.' " 

— {Spiritualism^  vol.  iL,  pp.  83-85.) 

This  angelic  jubilee  over  the  "  Judge's  Letter,"  must 
have  been  peculiarly  grateful  to  his  heart !  Only  think  of 
spirits  not  only  from  this,  but  from  other  worlds^  aU  put 
into  the  highest  state  of  excitement  by  the  contents  of 
this  letter  of  Judge  Edmonds,  addressed  to  this  Yankee 
Public,  and  containing  an  account  of  HIS  conversion  to 
Spiritualism !  One  or  two  specimens  from  this  Letter, 
will  show  the  very  worthy  matter,  and  very  reHable 
statements  over  which  the  whole  spirit  world  was  filled 
with  joy.     (The  italics  are  our  own.) 

"It  was  in  January,  1851,  that  my  attention  was  first 


222  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

called  to  the  subject  of  '  spiritual  intercourse.'  I  was  at 
the  time  withdrawn  from  general  society  ;  I  was  laboring 
under  great  depression  of  spirits.  I  was  occupying  all 
my  leisure  in  reading  on  the  subject  of  death  and  man's 
existence  afterward.  I  had  in  the  course  of  my  life  read 
and  heard  from  the  pulpit  so  many  contradictory  and 
conflicting  doctrines  on  the  subject.,  that  I  hardly  knew 
what  to  believe.  I  could  not,  if  I  would,  beheve  what  I 
did  not  understand,  and  was  anxiously  seeking  to  know 
if,  after  death,  we  should  again  meet  with  those  whom 
we  had  loved  here,  and  under  what  circumstances." 

The  implacable  hatred  that  every  now  and  then  peers 
out  from  his  pages  against  the  Church  and  thejone^^s, 
as  he  sneeringly  calls  the  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  has  evi- 
dently led  him  to  sin  against  the  truth :  for  it  is  notorious 
that  "  on  the  subject  of  death  and  man's  existence  after- 
wards," no  man  ever  "heard  from  the  pulpit  so  many 
contradictory  and  conflicting  doctrines,"  as  the  Judge 
seems  to  intimate  to  be  the  staple  of  Gospel  preaching 
among  "  the  sects."  It  is  simply  impossible,  that  such  a 
diversity  of  sentiment  could  exist  upon  a  subject  upon 
which  aU  are  agreed.  Yet,  this  is  one  of  the  matter~of 
fact-statements  over  which,  the  assembled  delegates  from 
creation  rejoice  ! 

Again  he  says  in  this  letter : 

"  In  the  mean  time,  it  is  due  to  myself  and  to  others 
to  say,  that  our  faith,  as  growing  out  of  these  researches, 
is  not  '  at  irreconcilable  variance  with  revelation.'  How 
Uttle  do  they  who  make  such  charges,  know  of  this  mat- 
ter !  Misled  by  the  crudities  which  alone  are  seen  in  the 
newspapers  of  the  day,  because  the  graver  matters  can 
not  find  admission  there,  the  idea  is,  I  am  aware,  enter- 
tained by  some  that  this  new  philosophy  is  at  variance 
with  the  revelation  through  Christ,  the  Redeemer.  This 
is  indeed  a  sad  mistake,  and  one  that  believers  would  be 


THE   I^ETTER.  223 

too  happy  to  correct,  if  only  the  opportunity  could  be 
aflbrded  them." 

This  is  simply  absurd.  "We  have  shown,  and  shall  still 
further  show,  that  the  Bible  itself  is  represented  as  a  book 
oi  falsehood  by  the  spirits,  and  their  agent  authors ;  that 
there  is  not  a  distinctive  doctrine  of  "the  revelation 
through  Christ,  the  Redeemer,"  which  is  not  bitterly  as- 
sailed, and,  with  the  coolness  of  minds  made  up  to  maUce, 
trampled  under  foot.  What  then  shall  be  said  of  this 
seemingly  honest  compliment  paid  to  Christianity  ?  What 
shall  be  thought  of  this  hankering  after  the  respectability 
of  the  "  revelation  through  Christ,"  to  serve  wherewithal 
demon  revelations^  as  opposite  in  nature,  doctrine,  and 
tendency,  as  darkness  is  opposite  to  light  ?  "What,  on 
the  score  of  honesty,  shall  be  thought  of  this  profound 
bow  to  Christianity  in  the  "  Appeal  to  the  Public,"  con- 
trasted with  the  many  kicks  given  to  the  Bible,  to  Christ- 
ianity, and  its  ministry,  in  the  numerous  books,  and 
pamphlets,  and  papers  of  spirit  literature  ?  Ah !  it  is 
quite  too  plain,  they  would  "  steal  the  livery  of  heaven." 
etc. 

THE  JUDGE  CAUGHT  UP  IN  THE  SPHERES,  AND  CONTEMPLATES 
A  SAW-MILL. 

"  I  saw  the  old  man  whom  I  had  met  in  the  path,  when 
he  ascended  the  steps  of  this  new  country,  and  mingled 
with  the  spirits  there  awaiting  him.      ***** 

"  I  was  walking  up  that  same  path,  accompanied  by 
them,  (his  wife  and  children,)  and  was  just  leaving  the 
place  where  I  had  been  shown  the  stairway.  On  both 
sides  of  me  were  beautiful  residences,  standing  back  from 
the  road. 

"  One  I  noticed  in  particular,  because  it  was  surrounded 
by  trees  and  shrubbery,  as  I  had  sometimes  seen  among 
the  natives  of  Central  America.  The  trees  grew  close 
together,  and  intermingled  their  dense  foliage  overhead, 


224  A   THEEE-rOLD   TEST. 


producing  a  very  soft  shade  all  around  their  trunks. 
They  were  trimmed  up  as  far  as  the  arm  could  reach, 
and  the  ground  around  their  base  was  levelled  very 
smooth,  entirely  free  from  grass,  and  kept  very  clean,  so 
that  it  was  a  cool  and  delightful  promenade.  This  grove 
was  at  the  side  and  behind  the  west  end  of  the  house, 
and  extended  oif,  I  observed,  some  distance  in  that  di- 
rection. The  whole  place  was  very  attractive  to  me,  and 
I  had  a  wish  to  examine  it  more  closely.  My  companions 
immediately  turned  with  me  into  the  inclosure. 

"  I  noticed  that  the  ground  in  front  of  the  house,  and 
between  it  and  the  path,  were  not,  as  at  the  other  places 
I  had  seen,  ornamented  with  flowers,  but  they  were  used 
as  a  vegetable  garden,  and  it  was  in  very  perfect  order, 
and  growing  very  luxuriantly.  I  saw  growing  there 
Indian  corn,  potatoes,  beets,  and  lettuce.  There  were 
other  varieties,  but  I  did  not  particularly  notice  them. 
But  there  seemed  to  be  nothing  there  merely  for  orna- 
ment. All  was  for  use,  but  all  was  in  order.  As  I  ap- 
proached the  house,  I  saw  at  my  left  some  out-houses  near 
the  edge  of  the  trees,  as  if  for  animals. 

"  I  became  at  once  impressed  that  that  was  the  farm 
establishment  for  that  community,  and  he  who  lived  there 
had  been  a  farmer  on  earth,  and  now  superintended  it 
for  the  common  welfare. 

"I  saw  no  one  around  the  place.  The  house  was  an  old- 
fashioned  farm-house,  one  and  a  half  story  high,  with  a 
wide  portico  in  front,  with  seats  in  it.  My  companions 
stopped  there,  but  I  proceeded  around  the  house  into  the 
grove. 

"  There,  back  of  the  grove,  I  saw  a  large  field  of  wheat 
growing  very  thrifty,  and  nearly  ripe.  It  seemed  to  be 
stirred  by  a  gentle  breeze,  and  waved  gracefully  and 
peacefully,  as  I  have  often  seen  it  here  in  midsummer. 
The  grove  of  trees,  and  the  clean,  smooth  walk  under  the 
shade,  continued  all  around  the  field,  and  it  was  the  only 
fence  it  had. 

"I  had  noticed,  as  I  passed,  that  the  out-houses  which 
I  saw  were  for  the  mules  which  were  used  on  the  farm, 
but  thus  far  I  had  seen  no  animals  nor  man.  But  now  I 
noticed,  beyond  the  orchard,  a  dense  forest  of  enormous 


THE  SAW-MILL.  225 

trees,  and  in  it  there  was  a  water-fall  and  a  saw-mill,  and 
now  I  saw  the  man  whose  place  I  was  on.  He  was  at 
work  at  the  saw-mill  with  four  or  five  assistants.  He  was 
dressed  in  shirt  and  trowsers,  and  his  sleeves  were  rolled 
up.  He  and  his  companions  seemed  very  cheerful  and 
happy  at  their  work.  It  seemed  as  if  they  were  toiling 
for  the  pleasure  of  it,  and  were  evidently  enjoying  it. 
They  were  singing  and  laughing,  telling  stories  and 
cracking  jokes  upon  each  other. 

"The  saw-mill  was  at  work  with  four  saws  a-going;  but 
I  did  not  see  around  it  any  of  the  litter  which  I  have 
been  accustomed  to  here  :  no  loose  piles  of  slab,  no  heaps 
of  saw-dust,  no  decaying  logs,  but  every  thing  was  neat 
and  orderly.  The  logs  were  piled  up  in  heaps,  and  so 
arranged  as  to  look  very  handsome.  They  were  ar- 
ranged in  piles.  I  counted  the  base.  It  consisted  of 
eight  logs,  then  above  that  layer  seven,  and  then  six,  and 
so  on  up  to  a  point. 

"All  their  rubbish  and  dirt,  I  observed,  were  carried  off 
by  a  sewer  dug  under  ground,  and  terminating  at  the 
precipice  which  I  have  already  mentioned.  By  means  of 
a  waste-weir  aU  the  rubbish  was  carried  off  that  way,  and 
the  water  passed  clear  and  pure  down  through  the  farm. 
When  I  approached,  they  were  sawing  a  large  log  with 
the  whole  four  saws.  It  was  a  singular  kind  of  wood, 
something  Hke  the  bird's-eye  maple,  but  the  spots  were 
larger,  and  the  wood  susceptible  of  a  higher  polish. 

"Each  board,  as  it  came  from  the  saw,  was  finely  po- 
lished and  smooth,  and  I  examined  to  see  how  that  was 
done.  The  back  of  each  saw  was  as  thick  as  its  front 
edge,  and  so  constructed  that  it  smoothed  off  and  po- 
lished, as  it  went  along,  the  roughness  which  the  teeth 
made. 

"  The  mill  itself  was  a  beautiful  structure.  It  was  a 
Doric  temple,  with  two  rows  of  columns,  open  entirely  at 
the  sides,  and  a  roof  that  projected  over  both  at  the 
ends  and  at  the  sides.  He  had  time  enough  to  build, 
and  had  taken  care  to  ornament  it.  Just  beyond  this 
mill  I  saw  a  pasture  in  which  horses  and  cows  were  graz- 
ing^ and  through  it  ran  a  stream  of  water." 

10* 


226  A   THKEE-FOLD   TEST. 

Here  we  can  not  refrain  from  asking  the  notice  of  the 
Judge  to  a  hint  from  the  above,  that  ought  not  to  be 
lost.  If  so  much  joy  was  occasioned  by  the  publication 
of  the  letter  aforesaid,  among  the  progressed  spirits  of 
the  upper  spheres,  why  might  not  the  Judge  suggest  a 
plan  to  help  the  "poor  devils,"  doomed  to  farm  a  black 
sand-plain^  with  no  sunrlight  ?  The  plan  I  propose  would 
awaken  in  their  bosoms,  methinks,  a  pulsation  of  grati- 
tude that  would  necessarily  set  them  right  onward  in  the 
upward  way  of  progkession.  -  The  plan  is  certainly  bene- 
volent and  feasible,  and  is  simply  this :  to  send  down,  at 
proper  intervals  from  this  sphere,  in  which  the  Judge 
saw  horses  and  cows,  seasonable  showers  of  compost. 

Surely  it  would  ameHorate  their  labor,  and  save  very 
much  spiritual  sweat.  Should  this  be  proposed  by  the 
Judge,  I  hope  he  will  remember  the  author  of  the  sug- 
gestion, and  name  it  as  coming  from  one  who,  though  a 
"priest,"  is  entitled  to  exemption  ivoro.  farming  it,  by  this 
discovery.    But  let  the  VISIOIN'  progress : 

"  My  return  was  instantaneous,  as  if  I  had  been  borne 
through  the  air  at  my  wish,  while  my  passage  out  had 
been  a  very  leisure  walk. 

"  On  my  return  to  the  house  I  found  my  companions  still 
seated  in  the  piazza.  A  female  of  mature  age,  who 
seemed  to  be  the  mistress  of  the  mansion,  was  standing 
in  the  door-way,  leaning  against  the  door-post,  talking  to 
my  wife.  A  younger  female,  apparently  her  daughter, 
was  leaning  out  of  the  window  of  the  front  room  con- 
versing with  my  son  and  daughter.  The  younger  female 
had  a  red  collar  to  her  garments,  while  those  of  the  other 
female  w^ere  trimmed  with  pale  green  belt,  and  purple 
cuffs  and  colors.  Her  hair  was  done  up  in  a  knot  behind, 
but  how  it  was  fastened  up  I  could  not  be  certain,  but  it 
seemed  as  if  by  a  silver  arrow  thrust  through  it.  This 
was  her  working-dress,  and  she  seemed  to  be  as  in- 
dustrious as  her  husband. 


THE   FAEM-HOUSE.  227 

"I  saw  through  the  hall  out  back  of  the  house  a  large 
chum  as  large  as  a  barrel,  of  white  wood  with  brass 
hoops,  and  very  clean. 

"  Observing  what  attracted  my  attention,  she  invited  me 
to  walk  out  back  and  examine  for  myself.  I  did  so,  and 
she  accompanied  me. 

"  I  found  out  there  a  very  wide  piazza  on  which  the  most 
of  her  work  was  done.  At  one  end  of  it  I  saw  many  tin 
pans  hanging  up  against  the  wall,  and  under  them  was  a 
table,  fastened  to  the  building  by  hinges,  and  capable  of 
being  lifted  up  or  let  down  at  pleasure.  On  that  she  told 
me  she  made  her  bread. 

"  I  had  not  yet  seen  any  glass  windows.  On  this  piazza 
there  were  openings  for  windoAvs,  but  I  saw  no  sashes  or 
glass.  Standing  against  these  openings  was  a  long,  nar- 
row table  with  drawers  in  it. 

"  The  floor  seemed  to  be  of  stone,  sloping  from  the 
house  outward,  and  terminatuig  in  a  gutter  which  ended 
in  a  sewer  under  ground,  and  thus  all  refuse  water  was 
carried  off. 

"  The  water  from  the  brook  was  carried  into  the  piazza, 
and  fell  from  a  penstock  in  a  small  stream  into  a  basin, 
elevated  about  four  feet  from  the  floor.  It  ran  over  the 
sides  of  that  basin  into  a  larger  one  on  the  floor,  whence 
it  escaped  into  the  sewer. 

"  I  observed  that  parts  of  the  floor  of  the  piazza  were 
so  constructed,  that  by  moving  an  upright  stick  standing 
back  against  the  side  of  the  house,  a  lattice-work  could 
be  opened  and  let  the  air  pass  up.  This  was  done  to  give 
ventilation,  and  I  observed  that  the  slats  of  the  lattice- 
work were  so  constructed  as  not  to  let  the  water  through, 
but  to  carry  it  off  into  the  gutter. 

"  While  in  this  piazza,  I  observed  back  of  the  house 
several  orange  trees  full  of  fruits  and  flowers,  and  monkeys 
playing  in  their  branches.  Here,  for  the  first  time,  I  saw 
a  cat ;  she  was  playing  with  the  monkeys,  and  chasing 
them  up  the  trees.  I  saw  also,  at  a  little  distance  to  the 
right,  a  large,  old-fashioned  barn  for  storing  grain,  and 
between  it  and  the  house  was  a  large  field  of  Indian  corn. 
The  barn  was  standing  near  the  stream  of  water,  and  had 
contrivances  by  which  aU  its  rubbish  and  dirt  would  be 


228  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

carried  off  by  it.  And  here  I  observed  that  the  stream 
of  water  tended  north,  and  became  at  a  short  distance 
again  united  with  the  others  into  a  large  creek. 

"  In  passing  from  the  back  to  the  front  of  the  house,  I 
observed  the  hall  had  upon  it  what  had  the  appearance 
of  an  old-fashioned  rag  carpet.  The  female,  reading  my 
surprise  at  that,  told  me  they  had  been  farmers  on  earth, 
and  had  taken  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  in  their  way  of 
living,  and  had  purposely  surrounded  themselves  with  the 
comforts  to  which  they  had  been  accustomed. 

"  The  boards  of  the  hall  floor  were  so  clean  and  polished 
that  they  shone. 

"  I  saw  also  in  the  hall  an  old-fashioned  stairway  leading 
to  upper  rooms. 

"  Some  one  of  the  circle  here  inquired,  If  they  thus  worked  for  the  whole 
community  as  a  matter  of  duty  enjoined  upon  them,  or  did  it  voluntarily. 
The  female  answered : 

"  '  We  do  it  voluntarily.  We  take  pleasure  in  it.  When 
we  want  help  we  say  so  to  those  around,  and  they  come 
of  their  own  accord.'  The  daughter,  laughing,  added  :  'I 
don't  have  much  work  to  do,  so  many  come  and  offer  to 
work,  and  when  they  come,  we  have  merry  times,  we  tell 
stories,  laugh,  and  are  full  of  fun.' 

"  I  observed  that  their  house  was  not  large,  and  the 
family  only  consisted  of  three  persons — the  man,  his  wife, 
and  daughter.  They  were  originally  from  Germany. 
They  had  been  in  the  spirit  world  many  years,  and  there 
had  been  many  new  inventions  to  facilitate  farm  labor 
since  they  left  the  earth,  which  they  had  learned  and 
adopted.  Among  other  things,  the  woman  showed  me  a 
pair  of  heavy  wooden  shoes,  the  soles  at  least  two  inches 
thick,  and  she  told  me,  that  she  used  to  wear  them,  and 
then  she  showed  me  the  light  leather  shoes  she  now  wore, 
and  laughingly  compared  them  together. 

"  Some  one  of  the  circle  asked  me  to  inquire,  how  many  years  she  had 
been  in  the  spirit  world  ? 

"She  answered  she  could  not  tell  by  years,  only  by 
events ;  but  it  was  before  the  Crusades.  She  added,  she 
remained  only  a  few  years  in  the  lower  plane,  when  all 
three  were  united  and  ascenilcd  toe^ether. 


BUTTERMILK.  229 

"  I  inquired  of  the  daughter  if  she  had  never  been  mar- 
ried ?  She  answered  she  supposed  I  would  call  it  mar- 
riage. There  was  one  to  whom  she  was  much  attached, 
and  they  loved  each  other's  society,  and  they  were  a  good 
deal  together.  He  was  now  at  work  at  the  saw-mill.  And 
she  said,  he  would  come  in  from  the  saw-mill,  not  at  all 
tired  with  his  work,  and  would  kick  up  his  heels  and  go  to 
dancing.  '  Yes,'  added  the  mother,  '  and  you  join  him  in 
doing  so.'  She  showed  me  a  guitar  and  a  flute,  and  said 
they  played  and  sang  together. 

"  The  young  girl  seemed  full  of  frolic,  and  fun,  and  joy. 
She  could  hardly  keep  stiU.  As  she  and  my  daughter  sat 
close  together,  I  could  not  help  noticing  the  difference. 
My  daughter  was  still  and  quiet,  and  apparently  very  in- 
tellectual. She  was  not  without  emotions,  but  she  re- 
pressed them,  and  I  saw  her  once  in  a  while  lay  her  hand 
on  her  heart,  as  if  to  hush  all  within. 

"  We  turned  to  take  our  leave,  for  it  was  time  for  me 
to  go.  The  matron  invited  me  to  call  on  her  again,  and 
she  would,  she  said,  give  me  a  drink  of  buttermilk'''' ! ! ! 
{Spiritualism^  vol.  ii.,  pp.  135-144.) 

Oh !  Judge  Edmonds !  Judge  Edmonds !  Judge  Ed- 
monds ! !  Oh !  Judge  Edmonds !  Oh ! ! ! 


THE   JUDGE'S   VIEW  OF   THE   CKOSS. 

"  In  this  circular  path,  and  between  me  and  the  foun- 
tain, that  assemblage  stood.  They  were  variously  and 
beautifully  dressed,  and  in  front  of  them,  toward  me,  three 
spirits  were  standing.  The  centre  one  was  tall  and  ma- 
jestic, clothed  simply  in  loose,  white  garments,  extending 
to  his  feet,  and  holding  under  his  left  arm  a  book.  His 
appearance  and  manner,  and  the  expression  of  his  counte- 
nance, approached  nearer  to  my  ideas  of  Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth than  any  delineation  of  him  I  ever  had  seen,  but  I 
ascertained  at  once  that  it  was  not  him,  but  the  presiding 
spirit  of  that  community. 

"  My  companions  and  myself,  as  we  approached  him, 
were  filled  with  emotions  of  love,  of  reverence,  and  of  awe, 


230  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

that  would  not  let  us  speak.  The  spmts  which  stood,  one 
on  each  side  of  him,  wore  mantles  of  dark  blue  velvet, 
and  on  their  heads  chaplets,  which  were  badges  of  office. 
I  can  not  describe  the  countenance  of  that  presiding 
spirit ;  he  seemed  to  be  filled  to  overflowing  with  happi- 
ness ;  he  was  of  large,  capacious  mind,  and  full  of  love  to 
all  around  him.  There  was  a  solemn  stillness  brooding- 
over  all  the  scene  that  seemed  to  hush  even  the  pulse's 
beat. 

"  There  were  conflicting  feelings  awakened  in  me :  one 
prompted  me  to  fall  down  and  worship  him ;  and  the 
other  repressed  that,  and  told  me  he  was  a  man  as  I  was, 
and  asked.  Why  can  not  you  be  Hke  him  ? 

"  When  I  arrived  within  a  few  paces  of  him,  he  took 
the  book  from  under  his  arm,  and  with  outstretched  hand 
pointed  me  to  the  heavens  off"  at  his  left.  And  there, 
amid  the  hush  of  that  scene,  amid  its  glorious  beauty,  its 
soft  and  gentle  light,  and  its  balmy  air,  high  up  in  the 
heavens,  and  far  distant,  I  saw  the  cross  of  our  Redeemer 
painted.  Rough  and  unhewn  itself,  it  was  surrounded  by 
a  halo  of  golden  light,  and  on  one  of  its  arms  a  majestic 
spirit,  clad  in  dark-colored  and  rich  garments,  stood  lean- 
ing. High  over  it  all  flashed,  in  rays  of  sparkling  silver 
light,  '  God  is  Love.'  Directly  over  the  summit  of  the 
cross  was  a  scroll  which  seemed  to  spread  abroad  a  feCling 
of  solemn  awe.  On  it  was  inscribed  '  He  saved  mankind 
BY  LIVING,  NOT  BY  DYING.'  Bclow  the  trausvcrsc  piece 
was  a  small  scroll,  on  which  was  written,  '  Do  thou  lIke- 
wise.'"!!!     (Z6zU,  pp.  152,  153.) 


the  judge  honoeed  in  the  spirit  world. 

"  While  noticing  these  things,  a  party  approached  from 
the  west  on  horseback.  It  consisted  of  twenty  or  thirty 
persons  of  both  sexes,  and  they  were  superbly  mounted. 
I  noticed  particularly  a  jet-black  pacer  ridden  by  a  female. 
He  was  a  superb  animal.  They  came  from  a  distant 
community  to  invite  me  to  visit  them. 

"  The  presiding  spirit  called  my  attention  to  the  shining 
mountain,  and  I  saw  that  its  summit  was  approached  by 


PARTY   ON   HORSEBACK.  231 

a  broad,  winding  stairway,  with  heavy  balustrades  and 
numerous  landing-places,  and  terminated  at  the  summit 
under  an  arch,  through  which  streamed  that  golden  light, 
casting  it  rays  far  down  the  mountain,  lighting  up  the 
stairway  to  my  vision,  and  throwing  its  reflection  of 
golden  and  crimson  light  upon  houses  and  land  and  water, 
and  beautifying  the  scene  wonderfully.  And  he  told  me 
that  light  was  the  product  of  the  concentrated  love  of  all 
the  inhabitants,  which  thus  shed  abroad,  upon  all  that 
surrounded  it,  its  warm  and  grateful  influence.  I  saw 
birds  of  song  and  of  gay  plumage  flymg  into  its  rays,  as 
they  shot  forth  in  various  directions,  and  the  animals  con- 
fined to  the  lower  plane  sought  the  spot  where  it  struck, 
that  they  might  bask  in  it.  Elephants  and  lions  and  other 
wild  animals  I  thus  saw,  but  they  were  savage  no  longer 
under  its  mild  influence.  I  even  saw  the  crocodile  crawl 
from  his  watery  bed,  and  as  he  reached  the  Hght  his  dingy 
sombre  hue  changed  to  a  Hvely  green. 

"  In  the  distance  I  saw  a  body  of  water,  which  seemed 
to  be  the  end  of  a  lake  or  large  inland  sea.  On  it  were 
vessels  with  sails,  most  of  them  small,  as  if  chiefly  for 
pleasure,  and  one  large  steamboat,  as  large  as  one  of  our 
sea  steamers.  From  all  this  I  inferred,  that  this  was  a 
bay  only  of  a  large  inland  sea  which  was  hidden  from  me 
by  th6  intermediate  land. 

"  And  I  saw,  too,  rivers  meandering  through  the  coun- 
try, on  which  vessels  were  plying  and  over  which  bridges 
spanned,  and  lakes  of  various  sizes  in  different  parts  of 
the  country. 

"  It  was  indeed  a  beautiful  country  to  live  in,  amid  its 
soft  and  grateful  air,  and  its  glowing  but  mild  light. 

"  I  was,  however,  obliged  to  leave  it,  for  my  time  was 
up,  and  I  returned  to  earth."     {Ibid.^  pp.  155, 156.) 


THE  JUDGE  TREATED  TO  A  RIDE  IN  THE  SPHERE. 

"  While  I  was  looking  at  these  things,  a  carriage  and 
four  horses  drove  up  ;  they  immediately  attracted  my 
attention,  for  one  of  my  youthful  follies  had  been  a  great 
penchant  for  driving  tandem  and  four-in-hand ;  and  she, 


232  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

whose  girlhood  had  been  accustomed  to  the  quiet,  sober 
driving  of  her  Quaker  father,  had  soon  learned  to  dash 
'fast  and  furiously'  through  the  country  with  me.  It 
was  a  beautiful  turn-out.  The  carriage  was  light  and 
tasty,  with  a  high  seat  for  the  driver,  and  one  seat  behind 
for  two  persons.  It  was  painted  yellow,  and  on  its  panels 
was  my  seal !  The  harness  was  light  and  airy,  and  the 
horses  were  superb  animals,  of  the  true  Arabian  breed, 
with  long,  sleek  bodies,  clean  Umbs,  and  a  springing  mo- 
tion to  every  step.  They  were  well  groomed,  high-spirit- 
ed, and  well  broke,  and  of  different  colors,  being  matched 
rather  for  quality  than  looks. 

"  The  presiding  spirit  and  my  wife  entered  the  carriage, 
while  I  ascended  the  driver's  seat  and  took  the  reins  from 
the  coachman. 

"  We  started  for  a  ride.  We  descended  a  hiU  and  cross- 
ed a  bridge,  driving  westerly  toward  the  shining  moun- 
tain. It  was  very  exhilarating :  the  jingle  of  the  harness, 
the  rattling  of  the  wheels,  the  clear,  ringing  tread  of  the 
horses,  as  we  sped  rapidly  along,  reminded  me  of  many 
a  youthful  frolic ;  but  here  the  pleasure  was  much  en- 
hanced by  the  beautiful  country  through  which  we  were 
passing,  and  the  many  and  delightful  residences  that  lined 
both  sides  of  the  way,  as  also  by  the  thoughts  which  the 
scene  and  the  associations  suggested. 

"As  we  passed  rapidly  along,  I  ever  and  anon  turned  to 
speak  to  my  companions  of  the  beauties  around  me  ;  and 
he  who  sat  beside  my  wife  seemed  a  little  uneasy,  as  if  I 
was  not  attending  as  I  should  to  my  driving.  My  wife 
reassured  him,  and  told  him  she  was  used  to  it,  and  he 
might  rely  upon  it,  that  I  was  at  home  where  I  was,  and 
knew  what  I  was  about."     {Ibid,^  pp.  163,  164.) 

THE  JUDGE  IN  THE  BAD  PLACE. 

"  I  was  m  a  dark  and  gloomy  country,  all  a  dead  level, 
whose  soil  was  a  fine  black  sand,  parched  and  very  dry. 
There  was  no  water,  no  trees  or  shrubbery,  but  all  was 
bleak  and  barren.  In  a  distant  part  of  the  scene  I  saw 
a  conical-shaped  mountain,  towering  darkly  among  the 
clouds,  and  intervening  were  roads  and  dwellings. 


THE   BAD   PLACE.  233 

"  It  looked  as  if  the  air  was  full  of  that  black  sand,  and 
a  smoke,  as  if  from,  bituminous  coal,  was  over  it  all. 

"  In  front  of  one  of  the  houses  I  saw  two  men  fighting. 
Out  of  its  ^vindow  a  man  was  looking  and  laughing  at 
the  affray.  It  was  a  dirty-looking  hovel,  and  all  around 
it  was  foul,  neglected,  and  in  contusion.  How  cruel  that 
fight  was !  They  were  a  large  and  a  small  man  who 
were  engaged.  The  larger  held  the  smaller  one  fast  and 
beat  him  in  the  face  with  his  fist,  long  after  he  ceased  to 
resist.  Some  of  the  passers-by  regarded  the  scene  with 
indifference,  while  some  enjoyed  it,  and  applauded  and 
encouraged  the  large  one  to  keep  on. 

"Among  those  who  passed,  I  was  particularly  struck 
with  two  who  were  engaged  in  deep  and  private  conver- 
sation. One  of  them  was  a  man  whose  forte  was  cun- 
ning, and  whose  penchant  was  to  circumvent.  He  was 
never  true,  sincere  or  straightforward.  He  was  disclos- 
ing some  plan  he  had  devised  to  cheat  some  one,  and,  on 
raising  his  fist  at  his  companion,  he  said  :  '  Damn  you,  if 
you  betray  me.'  His  companion  seemed  to  be  entirely 
under  his  control.  He  was  weak,  and  admired  the  cun- 
ning of  the  other.  He  seemed  to  love  to  aid  others  in 
committing  crimes,  but  not  to  have  mind  enough  to  de- 
vise any  himself. 

"  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  way,  I  observed  what 
seemed  to  be  a  fuU-grown  boy,  had  caught  a  dog,  had 
split  open  his  tail  and  put  a  stick  in  it,  merely  to  enjoy 
the  sport  of  seeing  his  suffering.  He  then  turned  the 
dog  loose,  and  stood  enjoying  the  scene.  The  attention 
of  the  owner  of  the  dog  was  drawn  to  his  cries,  and,  dis- 
covering the  cause,  he  beat  the  boy,  who,  being  as 
cowardly  as  he  was  cruel,  fled,  but  was  pursued,  and 
beaten  and  kicked  far  up  the  road."     {Ibid.,  181,  182.) 

THE   JUDGE   A   KEDEEMEE. 

A  spirit  of  the  lowest  sphere,  liberated  from  this  world 
by  a  halter,  had  been  consulting  the  Judge  but  two  days 
before  the  following  colloquy  took  place.  Having  come 
again,  the  Judge  thus  writes : 


234  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

"  I  noticed  that  his  right  hand  was  clenched,  and  I  re- 
marked, '  Your  fist  doubled  again  ?' 

"  He  instantly  opened  his  hand,  and,  baring  his  arm, 
raised  it  up  before  me,  and  said,  '  Do  you  know  that 
sign  ?' 

"  I  told  him,  right  well,  and  now  I  wanted  also  the 
word. 

"  He  then  added,  '  Do  you  Jcnow  you  have  redeemed 
meP 

"Z  told  him  how  deeply  I  rejoiced  to  hear  it,  and  re- 
minded him  that  I  had  told  him  that  such  a  result  would 
give  me  happiness  that  would  last  for  ages.* 

"  He  then  said  :  '  I  told  you  I'd  bring  another  with  me 
— Jane,  Jane !' 

"  Yes,  I  told  him,  I  knew  he  had  sent  her,  and  I  had 
heard  from  others  that  he  had,  even  down  in  his  dark 
abode,  in  defiance  of  all  opposition,  proclaimed  the  glad 
news  that  a  way  was  opened  to  them,  and  I  had  thus 
seen  that  he  could  indeed  be  redeemed. 

"  He  answered :  '  I  am  redeemed  from  the  curse  of  sin 
by  your  aid.      You  have  saved  me.' 

"  Nay,  I  replied,  it  was  the  truth  which  had  saved 
him ;  '  the  truth  against  the  world.' 

"  He  then  said :  '  Do  you  know  love's  subduing  power  ? 
I  hope!  now  I  hope!  I  can  not  tell  you  the  joy  it 
brings.  Do  you  know  what  rest  is  to  the  weary  ?  joy  to 
the  heart-broken  ?  Then  may  you  know  the  fuhness  of 
my  joy.  Do  you  know  I  am  liberated  from  the  bonds  of 
sin  and  despair,  and  see  before  me  the  eternal  light  of 
pure  blessedness  ?» 

- "  Then,  after  a  pause,  he  added :  '  I  told  you  I  could 
tell  you  something.  Listen  :  do  you  know  their  weapons 
are  prepared,  their  plans  laid  for  your  destruction  ?  Be 
on  your  guard ;  they  would  be  glad  to  drag  you  down 
to  their  own  condition ;  but  fear  not,  and  look  up  whence 
your  strength  comes.  Man  of  God !  labor  faithfully  in 
this  sin-subduing  work.'  "  {Ibid.,  p.  216.) 

*  "We  had  marked  seven  other  cases  where  the  Judge  had  helped  to 
redeem  souls  from  future  misery,  but  have  no  room  for  the  edify  Id  g 
recitals ;  probably  one  example  la  enough. 


MUSIC.  236 

"  JOHN  AKDEESONj   MY  JOE  !" 

The  Judge  thus  writes,  on  another  occasion : 

"  And,  sure  enough,  in  a  moment  I  was  in  the  spirit 
world  again,  and  walking  rapidly  up  the  broad  avenue  to- 
ward the  fountain  ;  there  I  saw  assembled  a  large  crowd 
of  spirits,  with  very  pleasant  smiles  of  joy  and  welcome. 
My  wife  was  standing  at  the  entrance  of  her  garden,  with 
her  two  children  and  the  old  man,  her  attendant,  by  her 
side.  The  presiding  spirit  waved  his  hand  for  me  to  pass 
on  to  my  wife,  and  I  did  so.  I  passed  through  her  gar- 
den, toward  her  mansion,  she  leaning  on  my  arm,  and 
saying  to  me,  '  Is  not  this  like  old  times,  now  ?' 

"  I  could  not  see  what  was  delineated  on  the  wall  of 
the  room  behind  me ;  but  the  eradication  of  so  much  of 
that  gloomy  record  awakened  in  me  such  feelings  of 
gratitude,  that  I  said  to  my  wife, '  Let  us  kneel  together, 
for  that  we  have  never  yet  done,  and  give  thanks  to 
God  !'  She  asked  if  she  might  not  call  in  our  children  ? 
I  said,  '  Certainly.'  And  as  we  four  knelt  around  that 
altar,  I  uttered  this  prayer : 

"  '  O  thou  great  Jehovah !  beneficent  Father  of  all 
created  things !  shed  abroad  upon  our  hearts  the  impress 
of  thy  divine  love,  that  we,  aiming  at  thy  purity,  may  re- 
vel in  its  mellow  Hght  for  ever.' " 

"  "We  arose,  and  she,  leaning  on  my  arm,  led  me  from 
the  room.  As  we  were  leaving  it,  I  turned  to  look  at 
the  other  side  of  the  room ;  she  playfully  checked  me, 
saying,  '  Remember  Lot's  wife.' 

"We  then  entered  a  room  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
hall,  which  was  the  exact  counterpart  in  all  respects,  in 
every  little  article  of  furniture  even,  of  my  library  in  the 
house  where  she  died.  It  looked  out,  however,  upon  a 
different  scene. 

"  She  called  me  to  the  front  window,  and  there  I  beheld 
a  large  collection  of  spirits,  who,  with  musical  instruments 
and  with  their  voices,  sang  a  song  she  used  to  sing  to  me 


236  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

SO  often.    It  was,  '  John  Anderson,  my  Joe !'  "  Ibid.^  pp. 
309-311.) 

Oh  !  Judge  Edmonds !  Judge  Edmonds  !  Judge  Ed- 
monds ! !    Oh !  Judge  Edmonds !  Oh ! ! ! 

THE  JUDGE  VIEWING  A  KNOT  OF  DARK  SPIRITS  WHO   WERE 
PRIESTS. 

"  I  perceive  that  some  of  those  spirits  were  influenced 
by  a  general  feeling  of  hatred,  and  a  desire  to  put  a  stop 
to  that  which  they  know  will  benefit  mankind.  Others 
were  influenced  by  an  emotion  of  jealousy  toward  those 
who  believe  this  new  doctrine,  and  who  enjoy  a  privi- 
lege which  had  been  denied  to  them.  They  saw  no  end 
to  their  condition.  They  thought  that  it  was  eternal,  and 
they  recognized  no  reason  why  we  should  have  what  they 
did  not  possess.  Some  of  them  I  saw  had  the  same  per- 
sonal feelings  of  enmity  they  had  on  earth,  and  some  were 
angry  because  we  had  not  been  so  easily  moved  by  them 
as  others  had  been. 

"  The  spirit  who  was  passing  around  giving  instructions 
came  to  a  knot  of  five  or  six,  who  seemed  from  their 
garb  and  manner  to  have  been  priests.  They  were  very 
much  despised,  even  by  that  dark  assemblage.  They 
seemed  to  feel  mean,  degraded,  and  trodden  upon,  for  all 
treated  them  with  contempt.  And  it  was  no  wonder,  for 
they  had  been  hypocrites  on  earth ;  mere  sensuous  men, 
very  material  in  their  nature,  and  did  not  believe  the 
doctrines  they  taught,  nor  did  they  suppose  that  any  one 
else  believed  them,  and  they  thought  that  as  some  form 
of  religion  was  necessary  among  men,  theirs  had  been 
devised.  They  found,  now,  how  sad  a  mistake  they  had 
made,  but  they  knew  no  remedy.  They  were  too  much 
cowed  and  dispirited  to  act,  and  seemed  too  stupid  to 
understand  the  instructions  given  them.  They  answered, 
by  saying  listlessly,  '  What  can  we  do  ?'  The  directing 
spirit  turned  from  them  with  undisguised  contempt. 

"  I  saw  in  the  crowd  a  spirit  whom  I  had  seen  before. 
He  was  fantastic  in  his  appearance  and  actions,  yet  filled 


DARK   SPIEITS.  287 

with  hate,  and  incessantly  active.  He  was  dressed  to  re- 
present the  Devil  as  he  is  often  painted  by  man.  He  wore 
a  cap,  which,  close  fitting  to  his  head,  was  ornamented 
with  what  seemed  two  horns.  His  feet  were  so  dressed 
that  they  seemed  to  be  cloven,  and  he  had  appended  to 
him  the  appearance  of  wings  and  a  tail.  He  was  very 
dark  and  sombre,  and  around  his  mouth  he  had  painted 
red  streaks,  so  that  when  he  opened  it  and  thrust  out  his 
huge  tongue  his  appearance  was  most  disgusting.  He 
seemed  to  be  the  harlequin  of  the  group,  yet  never 
paused  in  his  intense  and  bitter  hate. 

"  One  of  their  plans  was  most  horrible.  It  was  to  work 
upon  one  of  my  children  till  she  should  be  made  insane, 
and  then  throw  her  into  a  trance,  so  that  fancying  her 
dead,  I  might  have  her  buried,  and  afterwards  discover 
that  I  had  buried  her  alive  !  A  plan  so  hellish,  and  over 
which  they  gloated,  made  me  shudder  and  grow  sick. 

"  I  saw  that  the  spirit  who  floated  around  giving  orders 
returned  again  to  the  knot  of  priests,  and  told  them  they 
must  influence  their  brother  priests  on  earth  to  carry  out 
their  plans.  They  answered  him,  with  a  feeling  of  weak- 
ness and  despondency,  that  '  It  was  of  no  use :  the  clergy 
on  earth  would  not  dare  to  do  it,  for  fear  they  might  lose 
their  situations.'  That  directing  spirit  turned  from  them 
again,  with  utter  scorn,  exclaiming,  '  Miserable  devils ! 
incapable  alike  of  good  or  evil.'  I  saw  that  all  the 
other  spirits  kept  aloof  from  them,  and  that  while  all  the 
others  were  actively  engaged  and  conversing  with  each 
other,  they  stood  silent,  listless,  useless,  and  despond- 
ing. 

"  I  saw  that  one  of  their  plans  was  to  affect  our  healths, 
which  they  boasted  they  could  do,  by  means  of  their 
magnetism."     {Ibid.,  pp.  242,  244.) 

It  is  quite  clear  that  these  spirits  of  evil  have  not  only 
magnetized  the  hearts  of  our  gentlemen  authors,  but 
rendered  them  clairvoyant  and  eloquent  in  just  such  bal- 
derdash and  blasphemy  as  we  should  expect  from  such  a 
source. 


238  A   THREE-FOLD  TEST. 


THE  JUDGE   TAKEIS^  TO  THE  MOON". 

"To  illustrate  this,"  (something  or  other,  no  matter 
what,)  "they  bore  me  to  the  moon,  and  I  was  directly  over 
it,  where  I  could  see  its  surface  distinctly,  its  high  pro- 
minences, its  deep  valleys,  its  great  unevenness  of  surface ; 
and  they  said  to  me,  '  Do  you  not  see  that  if  the  moon 
had  an  atmosphere  like  that  of  your  earth,  with  the  ra- 
pidity of  its  three-fold  motion,  that  atmosphere  must  be 
very  much  disturbed  by  this  inequality  of  surface  ?  and  so, 
too,  with  water,  which  is  but  a  denser  element  ?  Can  you 
not  perceive  that  if  the  surface  of  this  globe  were  smooth 
and  level  and  free  from  these  inequalities,  the  elements 
would  not  be  as  much  disturbed  by  the  motion  ?'  They 
alluded,  they  said,  to  all  the  elements  which  go  to  consti- 
tute an  inhabitable  globe,  for  all  were  subject  to  the  same 
law. 

"  I  observed  with  much  minuteness  the  surface  of  the 
moon.  I  saw  no  living  thing  there  except  a  few  plants. 
Sometimes  in  the  crevices  of  the  crumbling  rocks,  where 
some  little  soil  had  gathered,  there  were  a  few  specimens  of 
vegetation ;  but  they  were  large,  coarse,  low,  creeping 
weeds. 

"I  saw  many  different  colored  rocks  ;  some  looked  like 
hard  slaty  rocks — some  streaks  that  seemed  to  be  light- 
colored  granite — some  shining  and  sparkling  in  veins  as  if 
gold  and  silver — some  very  black  and  shining,  hke  anthra- 
cite coal. 

"  These  things  I  saw  in  a  vast  basin,  as  it  were,  like  the 
crater  of  a  volcano,  with  huge  craggy  rocks  bounding  it 
on  all  sides,  and  jutting  far  up.  I  saw  no  water.  Some 
of  the  rocks  had  fallen  from  the  sides,  and  tumbled  into 
the  valleys,  where  they  were  crumbling.  But  every  thing 
was  dreary,  desolate,  silent,  solitary.  The  spirit  of  liie 
had  not  yet  been  developed."  {Ibid.^  pp.  251,  252.) 

As  the  spii'its  told  me  that  ancient  astrology  is  true, 
these  gentlemen,  believing  in  the  superiority  of  modern 
manifestations,  can  not  be  offended,  if  it  be  here  suggest- 


A   VISIT  TO   THE   MOOX.  239 

ed,  that  probably  the  first  time  the  Judge  was  spirited 
away  from  this  planet,  he  was  taken  to  the  moon  ;  and 
we  think  it  altogether  quite  probable,  that  his  mind  being 
illumined  by  sweet  Cynthia's  bright  beams,  we  are  indebt- 
ed to  this  fact,  for  the  entertainment  afforded  the  world 
in  the  two  octavos  on  "  Spiritualism."  As  evidence,  we 
take  his  own  language  : 

"  We  have  to  contend  against  our  own  fanaticism ;  for 
I  assure  you  from  my  own  experience  and  observation, 
that  the  fascination  of  this  intercourse  is  so  great,  that  its 
tendency  is  to  lead  men  away  from  their  proper  judg- 
ment, and  instill  a  spirit  of  fanaticism  most  revolting  to 
the  calm  and  natural  mind."  {Judge  Edmondses  Lecture 
in  the  Broadway  Tahernacle,  Peh.  16,  1855.) 

But  there  are  other  authors  who  describe  "  Life  in  the 
Spheres,"  who  shall  also  speak  for  themselves,  and  thus 
afford  various  matter  by  which  the  "  New  Revelation" 
shall  be  judged. 

We  quote  now  from  "  Scenes  in  the  Spieit  Woeld," 
given  through  the  Medium  H.  Tuttle — a  sort  of  novel, 
in  which  the  spirit  of  the  old  pagan  philosopher  PY- 
THAGORAS is  the  Instructor.  The  future  world  is  by 
him  thus  described : 

ptthagoeas'  account. 

"  The  soil  which  supports  these  trees,  differs  from  earth 
only  in  the  degree  of  its  refinement,  and  consequently,  of 
necessity,  its  productions  are  similar  to  those  of  earth ; 
and  as  the  exhalations  from  the  earth  differ  as  its  devel- 
opment varies,  so  this  soil  changes  continually  in  its  cha- 
racter. Hence  this  world,  in  the  variety  ofits  forms,  has 
imitated  earth,  copying  in  minutiae  all  its  types  from  age 
to  age.  Thus  says  a  spirit  from  a  world  breathed  into 
existence  long  before  ours,  and  his  speech  is  reasonable, 
and  proceeds  from  direct  observation.     Soon  after  the 


240  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

Sauvian  Age,  our  sphere  was  inhabited  by  those  reptile 
forms  whose  remains  are  buried  in  the  permian  and  ooUte 
rocks.  The  uncouth  mammaha  of  the  tertiary,  aUke  were 
all  represented  here.  So  has  it  been  with  all  ages ;  their 
peculiar  types  and  forms  were  all  represented  in  this 
world  until  the  present  period  dawned,  when  the  refine- 
ment of  atoms  was  so  accelerated,  that  spirit  with  intelli- 
gence alone  could  occupy  this  abode. 

"  Here  is  a  shadow  of  that  correspondence  which  exists, 
and  has  ever  existed,  betwen  the  spirit  world  and  earth. 
Matter  is  prone  to  take  the  form  in  which  it  had  previous- 
ly existed.  Hence  this  grove,  these  beautiful  plants, 
revelling  in  the  light  of  their  own  spirituality.  They  have 
all  existed  on  earth,  and  though  the  atoms  which  compose 
this  orange  tree  never  before  united  in  this  particular  tree, 
yet  all  have  existed  in  various  orange  trees  before. 
Atoms  thus  modified  have  afiinities  to  miite  in  this  pecu- 
liar form  of  tree."    (P.  23.) 

A   CHRISIIAN   IN   A   BAD   PLIGHT. 

The  spirit  of  a  Christian  is  represented  as  arriving  in 
the  spheres,  and  sadly  disappointed  because  he  could  not 
find  heaven.  He  comes  in  contact  with  Pythagoras,  and 
the  following  dialogue  ensues  : 

"  '  What  kind  of  a  place  do  you  expect  to  find  heaven  ?' 
asked  the  Sage,  with  something  of  pity  mantling  his  lofty 
brow. 

"  '  What  kind  of  a  place  ?  I  believe  it  is  as  the  Bible  de- 
scribes. It  says  heaven  is  paved  with  bright  gold,  and 
walled  about  with  precious  stones,  so  that  no  sinner  can 
get  in  through  the  narrow  way  which  I  have  travelled, 
except  now  and  then  a  shght  transgression,  which  the 
Lord  hath  forgiven  me.'         *        *        * 

"  '  Many  of  earth's  sons  would  far  rather  see  the  "  ght- 
tering  pavement,"  than  heaven  itself,  but  none  will  ever 
be  gratified,'  calmly  replied  the  Sage. 

" '  Is  there  no  such  place  ?'  and  again  the  storm  of  pas- 
sion arose  within. 


A   OHEISTIAN    IN    A   BAD    PLIGHT.  241 

" '  No  local  heaven — heaven  is  a  condition,  not  a  local- 
ity.' 

" '  Do  you  deny  the  Bible  ?' 

"'No.' 

"  '  That  says  heaven  is  located.' 

"  '  Not  if  rightly  understood.' 

" '  Yes  it  does,  plainly.  I  have  crucified  my  flesh,  suffer- 
ed every  thing,  carried  my  grievous  cross — aU  fornothing  ! 
Nay,  nay,  I'll  find  the  place  yet.' 

" '  Not  yet.' 

"'Never?' 

" '  Never !'  replied  the  Sage  in  chilling  accents. 

" '  Are  my  sufferings  of  no  avail  ?' 

"  '  None  whatever,  unless  to  depress  you.  The  path  of 
happiness  passes  not  through  suffering.  Suffering  is  the 
consequence  of  infringed  law — ^happiness,  of  obeyed  law. 
To  be  happy  is  to  enjoy  all  the  pure  pleasures  of  earth. 
You  have  always  labored  under  a  great  mistake.' 

" '  But  my  prayers  ?' 

"  'Prayer  without  action  is  nothing.' 

"  '  Did  not  Christ  die  for  me  ?' 

" '  No.' 

" '  Why  was  he  sacrificed  then  ?' 

"  '  He  died  because  the  Jews  were  angry  at  his  reform- 
ation, and  treated  him  just  as  all  reformers  have  been 
used  since  time  began — burned,  crucified,  murdered  by  the 
mob  at  the  instigation  of  the  priesthood.' 

" '  Can  he  not  forgive  sins  ?' 

"  '  No  ;  every  man  has  his  own  accounts  to  answer  for. 
If  he  is  debtor  he  is  necessarily  punished.' 

"  '  Atonement  false  ?' 

"  '  Yes,  Christ  suffers  not  for  your  sins.  He  is  not  a 
scape-goat  on  whom  you  are  to  lay  your  burdens.' "  (P.  43.) 

The  spirit  then  goes  in  his  vain  search  after  heaven.  In 
the  mean  time,  Pythagoeas  thus  replies  to  questions  from 
his  companions : 

" '  Then  you  still  hold  that  man  knows  nothing  of  the 
future  state  while  he  remains  man  ?' 

11 


242  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

"  '  He  can  not  know  with  certainty — all  is  obscure  and 
doubtful.  He  may  possess  an  interior  desire  for  immor- 
tality, but  he  can  not  reason  upon  this  important  subject 
with  his  senses ;  and  he  has  no  other  data  from  which  to 
draw  his  conclusions.' 

"  '  Has  he  not  the  Bible  ?' 

"  '  What  data  can  that  afford,  when  there  is  no  external 
evidence  of  its  truth?  And  those  who  profess  to  be- 
lieve it  do  not  Hve  an  exemplary  hfe  as  a  proof  of  its  in- 
spiration. The  truth  is,  that  man  believes  not  fully  in 
immortahty.  If  he  did^  think  you  he  would  not  depart 
the  earthly  life  with  joy,  when  he  was  sure  of  being 
ushered  into  the  presence  of  his  God  ?  Verily,  if  he  re- 
cognized fully  in  his  conscience  such  a  beautiful  place  as 
his  ideal  heaven,  he  would  rejoice  at  grim  Death's  ap- 
proach. Men  profess  to  beUeve  the  Bible  fully,  and  are 
terribly  shocked  if  you  question  its  veracity  in  the  least. 
It  is  the  idea  they  beheve,  not  the  substance^  educational 
prejudice  compelling  them  to  take  for  granted  that 
which  the  internal  light  of  their  nature  condenms.' 

"  '  Reason,  they  say,  is  carnal,  and  not  of  God,'  said 
Leon,  '  and  should  not  be  exercised.' 

"  '  Yes,  and  those  who  preach  this  doctrine,  exercise 
their  reason  to  shut  the  light  from  others'  understand- 
ing.' 

"  '  That  is  the  light  in  which  it  always  appeared  to  me. 
I  have  heard  preachers  declaim  by  the  hour  on  the  falli- 
bihty  of  poor  human  reason,  and  the  infalHbility  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  and  the  more  they  preached  the  more 
they  excited  their  own  benighted  reasoning  powers  to 
prove  reason  false.' 

*  *  *  *  *  '"The  whole  fabric  of  the 
church  system  is  founded  on  educational  prejudice.  This 
system,  accumulated  under  priestly  rule,  has  assumed  the 
character  of  a  dead  weight  on  man's  advancement,  drag- 
ging him  down  to  ignorance  and  bUnd  subservience. 
Why  is  it  indisputably  the  case  that  the  lawyer,  physician 
and  clergyman  are  generally  striving  with  their  united 
energies,  and  have  ever  striven  to  keep  the  mass  in  men- 
tal darkness  ?  Simply  because  their  whole  success — ^their 
wages,  depended  on  the  ignorance  of  the  masses  concern- 


DISCOUESE  OF  PYTHAGOEAS.  243 

ing  the  organic  and  physical  laws.  Under  these,  and  no 
other  conditions,  will  they  swallow  their  stale  doctrines 
without  murmuring.  But  set  them  to  thinking,  and  they 
make  sad  havoc  with  the  professions.  If  clergymen  would 
preach  practical  lessons  of  morahty,  instead  of  such  end- 
less, verbose  theorizings,  they  would  become  more  useful 
members  of  society.  If  the  doctor  would  lay  aside  his  anti- 
quated theories  and  mystical  technicalities,  and  discourse  in 
a  language  which  common  sense  can  understand,  explaining 
the  laws  of  health  and  hfe  in  a  simple  style,  his  patients 
would  soon  know  enough  not  to  be  sick.  If  the  lawyer 
would  strive  with  his  brother,  the  clergyman,  to  elevate 
the  moral  condition  of  his  chents,  instead  of  arousing  aU 
the  base  principles  of  their  natures,  his  quibbUng  false- 
hoods and  deceptions  would  not  be  needed.  Mankind, 
properly  elevated  by  their  moral  teachers,  would  forgive 
the  trespasses  of  their  brother,  as  they  already  have  the 
idea  of  doing,  and  not  nourish  those  feelings  of  hate  and 
revenge,  too  often  found  among  the  highest  order  of 
Christians.' »  (Pp.  47-49.) 

The  Christian  spirit  whom  we  have  mentioned  as  going 
to  satisfy  himself  as  to  whether  he  could  find  heaven, 
years  after  his  vain  pursuit,  agaiu  meets  Pythagoeas,  and 
thus  salutes  him : 

" '  I  appear  before  you  far  lower  than  when,  years  ago,  I 
entered  this  my  immortal  life.  Had  I  hearkened  to  your 
words  and  not  scorned  your  sayings,  rather  than  have 
taken  the  words  of  a  mythic  book  (!)  as  expounded  by  a 
designing  priesthood,  how  much  more  advanced  would  I 
now  be !     *        *         * 

"  '  I  have  searched  long  and  diligently,  but  have  found 
no  such  heaven  as  the  Bible  describes.  That  book  has 
undone  me — utterly,  irretrievably  ruined  me  for  ever.  I 
would  that  I  had  been  born  in  a  heathen  land,  and  had 
never  read  its  soul-destroying  pages !  I  have  inquired  of 
every  spirit  I  have  met,  if  they  knew  the  locality  of  heaven; 
and  aU  the  answer  I  received  would  be  a  commiserating 
look,  while  they  pointed  around  them,  as  much  as  to  say 
what  you  said  long  ago,  "  Everywhere  !"    I  have  seen 


244  A  THKEE-FOLD  TEST. 

multitudes  of  spirits  similarly  engaged  as  myself;  yet 
none  ever  discovered  the  object  of  their  search ;  and  I 
left  them  and  went  alone — beginning  to  doubt  in  my 
mind  the  theory  I  formerly  believed  sacrilege  to  dispute, 
and  which  I  so  fanatically  supported.  The  few  words  you 
spoke  to  me  came  up  with  redoubled  force,  and  I  was 
ready  to  exclaim,  "  Ah !  that  I  had  hearkened  to  that  vener- 
able man  whom  I  first  saw  on  my  entrance  into  this  world." 
This  day,  by  some  unaccountable  reasons,  I  arose  to  a 
higher  plane  than  usual,  and  without  a  moment's  warning, 
stood  before  you.  Your  forgiveness  is  worse  than  your 
combined  curses.  I  could  bear  the  latter,  but  this  softens 
me  to  tears.' "     (Pp.  74,  T5.) 

PYTHAGORAS   CONTII^TJES   HIS   DISCOUESE. 

" '  The  savage  regards  God  as  a  separate  and  detached 
being — the  civilized  man,  as  the  Author  of  creation,  pene- 
trating through  every  atom  of  matter. 

"  '  This  is  well  expressed  in  the  Allah  of  the  Moham- 
medan, "  the  Only."  How  beautiful  is  the  idea  contained 
in  this  :  "  God  is  the  Only  !"  When  we  speak  of  him  there 
is  no  Nature,  for  we  mean  every  thing.  All  is  a  part  of 
the  Omnipotent.  God  is  the  "  Only,"  the  "  AU,"  the  "I  am." 
He  speaks  to  you  through  every  sense,  and  impresses  him- 
self on  your  minds. 

"  '  Here,  I  perceive,  the  question  arises  in  your  minds, 
"What  and  where  is  God?"  This  vast  subject  has  en- 
gaged the  attention  of  theologians  and  philosophers 
through  all  recorded  time,  and  yet  nothing  but  a  vague, 
unsatisfactory  conception  has  been  gained.  Still  the 
question  arises,  "  What,  and  where  is  God  ?"  Still  the 
human  mind  manifests  its  inward  dissatisfaction  in  striv- 
ing for  something  more — something  beyond.  In  early 
ages,  the  chiefs  and  rulers  could  give  their  ideas,  and 
their  blind  followers  were  satisfied.  They  recognized  God 
as  a  personal  being,  and  their  followers  worshipped  him  as 
such.  This  idea  of  God's  personality  has  descended  to 
the  present  time,  and  the  mass  stiU  worship  a  monstrous 
human  potentate,  instead  of  the  controlling  principle  of 
universal  nature. 


DISCOURSE   OF  PYTHAGORAS.  245 

" '  Say  to  the  churchman  that  you  believe  the  Deity  to 
be  the  mind  of  Nature,  and  he  will  exclaim  in  sacred  hor- 
ror, "  You  are  a  disbeliever  in  a  God  ;  you  can  not  worship 
him  unless  he  is  personified."  The  Chinese  bowing  be- 
fore their  idols,  the  Hindoo  prostrating  himself  before  the 
crushing  wheels  of  the  Juggernaut,  the  fire-worshippers 
venerating  the  rising  king  of  day,  are  no  more  idolatrous 
than  those  who  worship  a  personified  Deity.'"  (Vol.  iii., 
p.  125. 

"'  But  you  say  this  ideaof  Deity  will  lead  to  Pantheism. 
What  if  it  does  ?  Can  there  be  no  truth  in  Pantheism  ? 
I  care  not  from  whence  truth  is  derived.  I  never  trouble 
myself  as  to  the  origin  of  an  idea.  If  reason  approve  it, 
I  am  satisfied.  Pantheism  may  contain  some  correct 
views.  Even  the  lowest  depths  of  Atheism  rest  upon 
some  truths.  All  error  begins  in  myth^  and  would  be 
immediately  condemned  if  not  for  the  few  truths  upon 
which  it  rests.  Men  who  dare  not  use  a  new  truth,  for 
fear  of  being  styled  infidel,  are  in  want  of  moral  courage. 
Such  are  willing  to  skim  the  surface,  never  daring  to  go 
deeper  than  their  predecessors  and  cotemporaries.' 

"  '  But  how  can  you  worship  a  principle,  or  a  code  of 
laws  ?' 

" '  If  the  ancients  called  those  attributes  manifested  by  na- 
ture by  the  term  God,  and  we  now  recognize  in  what  this 
Deity  consists,  and  if  our  devotion  thus  ceases,  it  is  no 
argument  against  our  conception.  This  objection  is  simi- 
lar to  the  plea  for  ignorance,  because  the  learned  do  not 
feel  the  same  degree  of  awe  and  wonder  as  the  savage 
when  gazing  on  the  fearful  tempest,  or  the  roaring  cata- 
ract. If  increase  of  knowledge  destroys  devotion,  then 
it  should  be  destroyed.  But  does  it  do  this  ?  The  man 
who  regards  Deity  as  the  Omnipotent  Intelligence,  will 
not  fall  down  with  blind  zeal  or  bigoted  devotion — with 
fear  and  trembling — as  in  the  presence  of  an  angry  tyrant. 
Perhaps  he  will  have  no  stated  time  to  go  through  the 
mummery  of  a  formal  prayer,  only  Up  deep ;  but  his 
veneration  will  speak  in  the  still,  small  voice,  and  he  will 
adore  the  great  cause  of  universal  harmony  which  spreads 
around  him,  in  which  he  recognizes  the  action  of  those 
great  and  comprehensive  principles  to  which  his  fathers 


246  A  THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

gave  the  name  "  Jehovah."  The  ignorant  devotion  paid 
hun  is  the  result  of  superstituous  fear,  and  has  not  the 
semblance  of  true  devotion. 

"  '  Devotion  springs  from  the  most  exalted  faculties  of 
the  mind.  If  man  strives  to  be  devout,  he  immediately 
loses  his  object ;  when  he  strives  not  at  all,  he  is  most  de- 
votional in  his  feehngs.  When  the  man  who  has  violated 
law  prays,  whence  cometh  his  prayer?  Not  from  the 
moral  organs,  but  from  the  selfish  and  the  animal.  After 
men  have  become  miserable  by  violating  law,  they  pray 
God  to  forgive  them.  After  doing  wrong  through  the 
day,  they  pray  for  forgiveness  at  night.  Hence  God  re- 
ceives the  homage  of  the  animal  propensities.  True  de- 
votion to  Deity,  of  the  developed  mind,  is  the  obedience 
of  all  the  laws  of  his  nature.  There  is  no  distinction  be- 
tween Nature  and  God.  That  mass  of  matter  and  mind 
which  has  ever  been  separated,  is  an  indivisible  unity. 
Let  this  lead  to  Naturalism  or  Pantheism ;  these  impres- 
sions are  clear  and  strong,  and  rest  on  the  immutable 
basis  of  creation.  I  consider  the  laws  of  Nature  as  the 
will  of  Deity ;  the  wisdom  and  intelligence  displayed 
around  me,  as  his  mind ;  and  though  in  speaking  of  these 
it  is  well  to  preserve  a  partial  distinction,  yet,  in  reality, 
all  is  one  inseparable  miity.  I  recognize  nothing  supe- 
rior or  external  to  Nature  ;  nothing  above,  or  controlling, 
this  unity;  but  within  dwells  perfection  of  principle,  work- 
ing for  ever  with  indefatigable  energy. 

"  '  We  have  but  one  guide  in  the  study  of  Nature,  and 
that  is  reason.  Revelation  is  scientifically  shallow  and 
superficial,  being  but  a  daguerreotype  of  the  rude  He- 
brew mind.  Respect  it  for  the  truths  it  contains,  but  not 
otherwise.  Nature,  then,  is  all  that  remains  for  our  study 
to  bring  to  fight  those  laws  which  reveal  the  hidden  ways 
of  the  Omnipotent  mmd  ! ! '"     (Pp.  128,  129.) 

THEEE   ARE   NO    CULPKITS. 

" '  In  the  undeveloped  state  of  things  now  existing,  the 
majority  are  born  with  bad  organizations.  They  are 
found  in  all  classes  of  society.  Reared  from  the  embryo 
in  the  worst  conditions,  surrounded    by   circumstances 


DISCOUESE   OF   PYTHAGOEAS.  247 

calculated  to  excite  alone  the  animalities,  can  you  be  as- 
tonished that  men  are  as  they  are  ?  They  are  surrounded 
by  objects  which  excite  their  acquisitiveness ;  by  com- 
panions who  allure  them  on  to  crime.  They  are  bred  in 
tilth,  vice  and  corruption,  with  scarce  food  enough  to  sus- 
tain the  life  within  them,  or  fuel  to  keep  them  from  freez- 
ing ;  while  all  around  is  wealth,  luxury,  and  comfort. 
Blame  them  not,  brother ;  you  would  soon  learn  to  he, 
and  steal,  and  cheat,  if  you  were  similarly  situated, 

" '  The  disposition  to  crime  is  a  disease,  hke  lunacy  and 
other  cerebral  disorganizations ;  and  charity  should  teach 
pity,  and  not  revenge.'  "     (Pp.  132,  133.) 

THE   SUM   OF   THE   WHOLE   MAITEE. 

"  *  Every  man  and  woman  should  consider  themselves 
individual  sovereigns,  to  think  and  to  act  as  best  pleases 
themselves,  if  they  do  not  infringe  on  the  rights  of  others. 
Tkere  should  he  no  conformity  except  to  Nature.  The 
thoughts  of  yesterday,  if  they  can  not  bear  the  light  of  to- 
day, should  be  cast  aside.  If  you  take  any  part  of  the 
old  craft  to  build  your  new  one,  it  wiU  be  bungling,  and 
incapable  of  withstanding  the  rough  waves  of  the  troubled 
ocean  of  reform.  The  reformer  should  cease  lopping  oif 
the  branches,  and  strike  at  the  roots  of  the  monstrous  tree 
of  error  which  shadows  the  world.  By  so  doing  you 
leave  humanity  free  to  commune  with  the  infinite  God. 
This  is  all  that  is  required  of  you.  To  be  great  should  be 
the  aim  of  every  individual.  N^ot  great  in  crime,  like 
Coesar,  Alexander,  or  Napoleon,  who  merit  the  scorn  of 
the  world ;  not  great  in  intellect  alone  as  Laplace  and 
Cuvier,  or  in  morality  as  Confucius,  Menu,  and  Howard — 
though  the  latter  species  of  greatness  is  superior  to  the 
others.  But  be  great  in  all  of  these,  with  a  giant  intel- 
lect supported  by  a  pure  morality,  and  put  into  action  by 
well-controlled  basal  organs.  Thus  organized,  the  great 
mind  will  not  look  down  with  contempt  on  those  beneath, 
nor  with  envy  on  those  above.  There  will  be  nothing 
arbitrary  or  conventional  in  such  a  mind,  but  serene  and 

5 pleasurable  emotions,  and  the  highest  enjoyment  of  life, 
[n  this  way  Jesus  Christ  was  the  greatest  of  men.    He 


248  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

was  an  exalted  moralist,  a  profound  philosopher,  and  pos- 
sessed the  energy  to  put  all  in  action.  So  superior  was  he 
to  common  men,  that  in  those  superstitious  times  it  was 
natural  for  men  to  believe  that  the  Deity  had  descended 
into  him,  and  that  something  marvellous  had  taken  place 
at  his  birth.'"  {Scenes  in  the  Spirit  Worlds  p.  143.) 

Thus  far  Pythagoras.  His  heathenism  needs  no  com- 
ment. 

SUPERNAL  ELOQUEXCE   OF   SPIRIT  DR.   CHANGING. 

"  Let  growth  of  soul,  and  expansion  of  thought,  en- 
circle immensity,  bedewed  with  the  high,  and  the  holiest 
recollections  of  the  infinite  impress  of  the  Divine  Mind 
upon  the  heart  of  man.  Blessed  Intuitions — Holiest  re- 
collections !  intervene,  and  radiate  the  dreary  waste,  and 
speak  peace  to  the  heart.  ShaU  not  these  high-born  mes- 
sengers awaken  within  man  an  evidence  of  immortal  de- 
sire, to  breathe  forth  a  sweet  cadence  of  love  to  the  man- 
gled efiusions,  that  arise  spontaneous  o'er  the  diversified 
aspects,  that  contemplate  the  future  as  a  vast  arena,  en- 
circling the  horrid  destrium,  that  has  impeded  the  onward 
march  of  his  and  my  fellow,  who,  like  myself,  is  born 
amid  the  clash  and  din  of  arms,  to  promote  the  highest 
ends,  that  await  man's  conceptions  of  power  and  freedom, 
which  is  the  birthright  of  Heaven,  to  endow  the  heart 
Avith  its  true  nature.  Its  restrictions  are  buried  amid  the 
din  and  sulphuristic  effusions,  that  rob  the  memory,  and 
sack  the  storehouse  of  immortality  of  its  hohest  ends. 
Peace !  Immortal  Peace,  should  be  an  angel  messenger, 
whispering  o'er  the  dead  wantonness  of  poUuted  power. 

"  We  herald  the  offspring  of  a  diseased  appetite,  that 
can  only  be  restored  amid  the  untutored  semblances  of 
ill-guarded  omens,  that  whisper  amid  the  lamentable  as- 
pects, that  await  the  endless  vicissitudes  of  man.  A  change 
in  the  heart  but  awaits  the  endless  changes  of  eternity. 
It  speaks  in  the  sunlight  glory  of  its  native  birth.  It 
breathes  the  atmosphere  of  blessed  anthems,  instilling  the 
fermentations  of  thought,  in  ascension  to  its  end.  The 
Divine  Evidences  of  Spiritual  Illumination,  are  observ- 


SUPERNAL  ELOQUENCE.  249 

able  upon  the  hill-tops  of  every  land.  Like  blessed 
virgins  of  peace,  they  waft  to  the  sunny  clime  the  bid- 
dings of  the  soul.  The  frigid  zone  is  melted,  by  the 
Avarm  appeals  to  a  consciousness  of  its  power.  Every- 
where, the  mighty  messenger  of  hope  bids  on  to  the  ulti- 
mate of  heavenly  care.  Come,  then,  my  brothers,  and 
amid  the  furiated  mass,  build  a  tendon  of  infinite  power, 
that  shall  ascend  beyond  the  marked  impress  of  a  deified 
end." 


"  Let  God,  in  the  heart,  adorn  the  man  with  robes  of 
sapphire,  whose  enchantments  shall  inspire  our  every 
thought,  beyond  the  melodious  strains  of  seraph  as  weR 
as  Son,  born  anew  to  the  divine  illuminations  of  the  heart. 
I  want  a  united  efibrt  to  give  life  and  vigor  to  the  Spirit 
ual  manifestations  and  movements  in  NashviUe,  that  your 
brother  man  may  aspire  to  higher  and  greater  ends 
than  the  seraphic  enchantments  that  picture  man  lifelesSj 
bereft  of  the  prerequisites  of  deified  power ;  robed  in 
heaven,  or  doomed  in  an  everlasting  hell. 

"  Let  the  intuitive  lessons  of  heaven-born  minstrel? 
chant  the  high  and  glorified  anthems,  that  shall  inspire  y 
thought  beyond  the  selfish  motives  of  man.  Spiritual  ii 
luminations  will  give  the  hue  of  celestial  visions  to  th« 
future,  to  permit  man  to  behold  his  life,  his  heaven-borr 
inheritances,  if  true  to  the  common  instincts  of  humanity 
and  his  God.  Then  be  inspired  with  renewed  exertioni 
in  the  great  cause  of  human  freedom.  Humanity's  chai  L 
is  but  the  glorified  acceptance  of  Love,  Wisdom  and  Hate  : 
hate  for  the  insidious  designs  of  those  who  give  vent  to 
the  most  malignant  desire  to  stupefy  all  brighter  prospects 
of  the  Future ;  wisdom  to  disentangle  those  who  dare 
give  thought  to  the  intuitive  impression  made  through 
the  infinite  impression  of  the  soul ;  love  for  their  own,  that 
their  cherished  ritual  may  be  made  the  standard  of  every 
man's  conscience.  Let  the  multifidious  desires  be  awak- 
ened, that  man  may  come  within  the  hallowed  influence 
of  celestial  fires,  that  the  glorious  era,  now  dawning 
upon  the  world,  may  be  hallowed  by  the  holiest  ties  and 
kindred  affinities,  both  on  earth  and  amid  the  exhaustless 
11* 


250  A   THllEE-FOLD   TEST. 

expanse  of  waste."  !  !  !  !    {Spirit  Communion^  pp.  126, 
129.) 

We  have  now  presented  numerous  "  elegant  extracts" 
from  spirit  literature,  whose  internal  evidence  shall  form 
our  SECOND  TEST  for  the  character  and  claims  of  modern 
Spiritualism. 

We  might  have  quoted  more  largely,  and  from  a  greater 
number  of  authors,  for  it  is  quite  evident,  that  Spiritual- 
ists ought  to  tell  their  own  story ;  and  thus  they  would 
manage  our  point  for  us  in  the  best  possible  manner ;  but 
our  limits  would  not  allow  it,  and  perhaps  the  reader 
may  complain  that  more  than  a  "  quantum  sufficit"  has 
already  been  pushed  upon  his  attention,  until  he  has  ar- 
rived at  an  "  ad  nauseam"  conviction.  Well,  we  confess 
this  has  been  our  aim.  And  we  feel  sure  that  he  has  al- 
ready passed  an  intelligent  verdict  upon  the  spirit  move- 
ment of  our  distracted  age. 

AfuU  and  fair  sample  of  subject-matter  and  style  is  ne- 
cessary to  enable  one  to  pronounce  upon  the  truth  or 
falsehood  of  the  claims  set  up,  and  without  it  such  an  at- 
tempt would  be  unreasonable  and  unfair. 

We  have  read  some  of  Dr.  Channing's  productions,  and 
we  think  that  every  competent  man  acquainted  with  them, 
will  pronounce  the  specimen  a  grievous  hbel  upon  the  dig- 
nity of  his  matter  and  the  beauty  of  his  style.  All  that 
we  have  read  purporting  to  come  from  him  is  like  this. 
To  be  the  author  of  such  effusions.  Dr.  Channing  must 
have  sadly  retrogressed ;  but  this  indisputable  fact  con- 
flicts with  the  great  doctrine  of  progression^  with  which 
every  publication  is  filled,  and  of  which  every  spirit  talks, 
in  the  interest  of  this  novel  cause.  The  conclusion  is 
therefore  inevitable,  that  if  spirit  Channing  be  a  lying 
spirit,  we  have  no  evidence  but  that  aU  others  may  be 
personatmg,  deceiving  demons ;  whose  imposture  we  have 


INTERNAL  EVIDENCE.  251 

no  adequate  means  to  detect,  and  whose  ability  to  elude 
the  sagacity  of  mortals  in  all  the  tests  employed,  is  evi- 
dently almost  unbounded.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
spirit  of  Dr.  Channing  is  really  the  author  of  the  afore- 
said and  kindred  productions,  then  it  is  perfectly  clear, 
that  his  life  in  the  spirit  world  is  one  at  least  of  intellect- 
ual deterioration  and  retrogression;  and  as  heaven,  accord- 
ing to  Spiritualists,  is  more  of  a  state  than  a  place^  it  fol- 
lows that  spirit  Channing  is  going  on  from  bad  to  worse, 
since  nothing  can  be  found  in  all  his  writings  so  intel- 
lectually impoverished,  so  bedizzened  with  "hifalutin," 
and  so  intrinsically,  intensely,  interminably,  intolerably 
absurd :  but  this  falsifies  their  whole  theory ;  therefore, 
whether  this  be  a  lying  or  a  true  spirit,  the  internal  evi- 
dence of  his  productions  is  dead  against  the  system  in 
whose  favor  and  for  whose  advancement  they  were 
made. 

In  the  elaboration  of  this  supernal  literature,  every  me 
dium  is  a  psychologized  and  clairvoyant  ecstatic,  whose 
intellectual  and  physical  organism  is  used  by  the  spirits 
for  their  own  high  purpose,  of  imparting  a  new  revelation 
to  the  world,  as  we  are  told,  which  shall  ultimately  sub- 
vert the  myths  and  falsities  and  imposition  of  "  popular 
theology."  Such  being  the  avowed  design,  surely,  accord- 
ing to  the  doctrine  of  "  progression,"  we  must  look  for 
ennobling  sentiments,  mighty  thoughts,  commanding  intel- 
lectuality, profound  moraUty,  which,  if  it  must  partake  of 
the  impurities  of  media,  shall  nevertheless  appeal  to  the 
reason,  commend  itself  to  the  moral  sense,  and  exactly 
suit  that  innate  perception  of  the  fitness  of  things  inalien- 
able from  the  nature  of  the  human  soul  which,  we  are  told, 
is  a  "  part  of  God  himself."  This  is  axiomatic,  and  essen- 
tial to  a  state  of  correlation  between  sanity  of  mind  and 
the  realities  of  universal  existence.  Reason  therefore  is 
in  itself  a  competent  power  of  necessary  intuition,  whose 


252  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

judgment  is  an  infallible  test  for  all  things  coming  within 
its  scope ;  and  must,  by  the  very  terms  of  its  existence  and 
operation,  decide  according  to  the  internal  evidence  of 
every  theory  submitted  to  its  judgment. 

What,  then,  are  the  facts  and  doctrines  of  our  modern 
SpirituaUsm  ?  They  are  drawn  out  in  a  lucid  manner,  by 
the  author  of  that  most  unmanageable  book,  "  The  Apoca- 
tastasis,"  and  we  cannot  do  better  than  quote  it,  p.  153  : 

"  A  pantheistic  theology,  the  identification  of  God  with 
matter,  or  a  Soul  of  the  World,  or  vital  principle  of  the 
Universe  ;  hence,  man's  responsibiUty  is  only  to  the  laws 
of  nature ;  the  denial,  consequently,  of  the  fact  of  true 
spiritual  relations,  of  the  existence  of  sin  and  guilt,  with 
an  attempt  to  show  that  the  universal  consciousness  of 
humanity  on  this  point  is  fallacious  and  false ;  the  reitera- 
tion of  the  so  often  exploded  falsehood,  that  man,  having 
no  free  will^  is  but  an  involuntary  and  irresponsible  link  in 
the  endless  chain  of  nature ;  the  reassertion,  therefore,  of 
the  principal  lie  of  Eden,  '  Ye  shall  not  surely  die ;'  the 
physical  demonstration,  for  as  many  as  can  comprehend 
interiorly  the  immutable  laws  of  nature,  of  the  immor- 
tality of  the  soul ;  because  it  is  perfectly  obvious  from 
the  '  inherent  and  immutable  laws  of  progression,'  that 
every  particle  of  matter  in  the  universe,  ascending 
through  multifarious  forms,  from  the  angular  to  the 
circular,  jfrom  the  circular  to  the  spiral,  and  soon  to  the 
spiritual,  '  will  ultimately  pass  to  the  perfection  of  a  spirit- 
ual essence ;'  allurement  to  virtue  by  the  promise  of  de- 
licious oriental  paradises  after  death,  of  which,  however, 
the  most  vicious  as  well  as  the  virtuous,  may  take  their 
choice  in  the  spheres ;  this  linsey-woolsey  tissue  of  ancient 
and  modern  sophistry,  absurdity,  and  impiety,  sugared  over 
with  sickly  sentimentalism,  and  milk-and-water  morality, 
with  the  privilege  of  perpetual  appeal,  for  its  true  interpreta- 
tion, to  the  reestablished  pagan  oracles,  and  ancient  ne- 
cromancy revived." 

This  is  a  true  schedule,  a  veritable  list  of  small  wares 
hi  the  haberdashery  of  modem  SpirituaHsm ;   and  when 


INTERNAL   EVIDENCE.  253 

we  consider  the  turgid  style,  the  entangled  web  of  words, 
the  profuseness  of  incongruities  in  all  forms  of  speech  at- 
tributed to  Bacon,  Swedenborg,  Pythagoras,  Channing, 
Washington,  "Webster,  Clay,  Calhoun,  and  other  minds 
whose  modes  of  thought  and  forms  of  diction  are  well 
known,  it  is  simply  impossible  to  contemplate  spirit  hter- 
ature  without  ineffable  loathing  and  disgust ;  we  repeat 
that  to  a  sane  mind,  not  ousted  out  of  its  normal  state,  it 
is  impossible  not  to  regard  the  whole  of  it  as  a  bottomless 
pit  of  wickedness  and  imposture.  The  evident  "  brain- 
dribble"  of  a  medium  poured  out  of  his  mouth  or  through 
a  quill,  in  all  respects  answering  to  the  above  description, 
is  gravely  published  to  the  world  as  the  giving  forth  of  a 
new  law  and  gospel,  by  which  the  life  of  man  on  earth, 
and  all  his  beUef  and  action  respectmg  his  immortal  inter- 
ests, are  to  be  guided  !  ! 

We  are  instructed,  in  this  "  new  religion,"  to  distin- 
guish between  heaven  and  the  spheres  through  which  all 
men  shall  ultimately  reach  it  and  become  the  "  minister- 
ing angels  of  God." 

The  spheres  are  circles  concentric  with  our  earth,  and 
below  our  moon,  according  to  spirit  Hare ;  but  heaven 
"  lies  outside  of  all  other  spheres."  Whatever  may  be  the 
facts  in  the  case,  he  "  has  not  learned  that  any  spirit  from 
our  planet  has  yet  reached  the  supernal  heaven."  [Harems 
Spiritualism) 

The  situation  and  the  glories  of  the  spheres^  spirit  Hare 
thus  delineates : 

"  The  spirit  world  lies  between  sixty  and  one  hundred 
and  twenty  miles  from  the  terrestrial  surface ;  the  whole 
intermediate  space,  including  that  immediately  over  the 
earth,  the  habitation  of  mortals,  is  divided  into  seven  con- 
centric regions,  called  spheres.  The  region  next  the  earth, 
the  primary  scene  of  man's  existence,  is  known  as  the  first 
or  rudimental  sphere. 


254  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

"  The  remaining  six  may  be  distinguished  as  the  spiritual 
si^heres. 

"  The  six  spiritual  spheres  are  concentric  zones  or  circles, 
of  exceedingly  refined  matter,  encompassing  the  earth 
hke  belts  or  girdles.  The  distance  of  each  from  the 
other  is  regulated  by  fixed  laws. 

"  You  will  understand,  then,  they  are  not  shapeless  chi- 
meras, or  mere  projections  of  the  mind,  but  absolute  en- 
tities, as  much  so  indeed  as  the  planets  of  the  solar  sys- 
tem, or  the  globe  on  which  you  now  reside.  They  have 
latitudes,  longitudes,  and  atmospheres  of  pecuHar  vital 
air,  whose  soft  and  balmy  undulating  currents  produce 
a  most  pleasurable  and  invigorating  efiect.  Their  sur- 
faces are  diversified  with  an  immense  variety  of  the  most 
picturesque  landscapes  ;  with  lofty  mountain  ranges,  val- 
leys, rivers,  lakes,  forests,  and  the  internal  correspondence 
of  all  the  higher  phenomena  of  earth.  The  trees  and 
shrubbery,  crowned  with  exquisitively  beautiful  foliage  and 
flowers  of  every  color  and  variety,  send  forth  their  grate- 
ful emanations."    {Ihid.^  p.  87.) 

The  reader  will  observe  the  discrepancy  between  this  de- 
scription and  that  given  by  Bacon. 

In  the  seventh  sphere  dwells  "Jesus  of  Nazareth,  (!  !) 
the  great  moral  reformer,  and  'John  the  beloved.'  There 
reside  the  apostles,  prophets,  and  martyrs  of  olden  time. 
There  five  Confucius,  Seneca,  Plato,  Socrates,  with  all  the 
philosophers  of  ancient  Greece  and  Rome." 

This  representation  of  the  place  where  Christ  is,  and 
the  companionship  it  is  his  privilege  to  enjoy  as  one  of 
the  "  reformers"  of  the  world,  is  given  by  spirit  Maria, 
and  confirmed  by  a  convocation  of  spirits  !  Says  Prof. 
Hare,  in  his  "  Spiritualism  Scientifically  Illustrated,"  pp. 
108,  116: 

"  It  ought  also  to  be  explained  that  after  spirits  reach 
the  seventh  sphere,  they  are  represented  as  being  en- 
titled to  enter  the  supernal  heaven,  taking  place  among 
the  mmistering  angels  of  the  deity."  (Ihid.^  p.  123.) 


INTERNAL  EVIDENCE.  255 

Kow  the  Bible  speaks  of  heaven,  but  it  says  nothing 
about  these  spheres.  Indeed  all  its  teachings  contradict 
their  existence.  Christ  is  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  far 
above  angels,  according  to  the  Scriptures  ;  but  according 
to  Spirituahsm,  he  has  not  yet  reached  the  dignity  of  a 
"  ministermg  angel ;"  he  has  not  even  "  progressed"  be- 
yond the  sphere  of  the  old  heathen  philosophers. 

Christ  declared  that  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  were  in 
heaven;  but  spirits  place  them  in  the  seventh  sphere,  while, 
as  to  the  location  of  these  spheres,  spirits  themselves 
are  not  agreed!  Whom,  then,  shall  we  believe?  There 
is  no  discrepancy  on  the  subject  of  the  spiritualized  mat- 
ter composing  them.  This  is  distributed  in  all  the  variety 
of  the  earthly  condition.  The  visions  impressed  by  Ba- 
con, Swedenborg,  Pythagoras  and  others  are  all  cut  out 
of  the  same  web.  The  earthly  and  the  sensual  predomi- 
nate, while  there  is  such  a  pomposity  of  language  used 
to  express  the  most  insignificant  conceptions  and  incon- 
gruous notions,  that  no  person,  if  he  retain  his  natural 
mother-wit,  will  either  disgrace  it,  or  dishonor  the  vir- 
tuous departed,  by  imputing  to  them  the  authorship  of 
such  paltry  trash.  They  present  scenes,  employments, 
and  intercourse  utterly  offensive  to  the  well-balanced  and 
weU-instructed  mind,  and  a  calm  appeal  to  reason,  ought 
ever  to  bring  down  its  anathema  upon  the  whole  system  as 
earthly,  sensual,  and  devilish :  earthly,  because  the  gross- 
ness  of  earthly  pleasures  depict  spiritual  employments; 
sensual,  because  the  appeal  is  to  the  carnality  of  a  sensuous 
experience  for  their  just  estimation  by  us;  and  devil- 
ish, because  they  artfully  teach  false  doctrine,  to  the  ruin 
of  souls,  subserving  the  nefarious  design  of  the  Devil. 

The  description  of  the  spirit  home  above  given,  answers 
precisely  to  the  Elysium  of  heathen  mythology.  "  There 
happiness  was  complete,  the  pleasures  were  innocent  and 
refined.    Bowers  for    ever  green,  deHghtful    meadows 


256  A  THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

with  pleasant  streams,  were  the  most  strikmg  objects. 
The  air  was  wholesome,  serene,  and  temperate ;  the  birds 
continually  warbled  in  the  groves,  and  the  inhabitants 
were  blessed  with  another  sun  and  other  stars."  (Lempri- 
ere^s  Clas.  Die.) 

It  is  also  strikingly  in  unison  with  the  Mohammedan 
heaven.    Thus  spake  the  Prophet  of  Mecca : 

"  As  to  those  who  beUeve  and  do  good  works,  we  will 
not  suffer  the  reward  of  him  who  shall  work  righteous- 
ness to  perish  :  for  them  are  prepared  gardens  of  eternal 
abode,  which  shall  be  watered  by  rivers ;  they  shall  be 
adorned  therein  with  bracelets  of  gold,  and  they  shall  be 
clothed  in  green  garments  of  fine  sUk  and  brocades :  re- 
posing themselves  therein  on  thrones. 

"  The  description  of  paradise,  which  is  promised  unto 
the  pious :  therein  are  rivers  of  incorruptible  water ;  and 
rivers  of  milk,  [buttermilk,  "  Judge,"  of  course  is  plenty,] 
the  taste  whereof  changeth  not ;  and  rivers  of  wine,  plea- 
sant unto  those  who  drink  ;  and  rivers  of  clarified  honey ; 
and  therein  shall  they  have  plenty  of  all  kinds  of  fruits. 

"  And  there  shall  accompany  them  fair  damsels  having 
large  black  eyes ;  resembling  pearls  hidden  in  their  shells ; 
as  a  reward  for  that  which  they  have  wrought.  (Koran^ 
chaps.  18,  47,  56.) 

Now  comparing  the  "  Elysium"  and  the  supernal  gar- 
dens, with  the  scenes  and  descriptions  of  "  Life  in  the 
Spheres,"  we  can  not  fail  to  be  struck  with  the  substantial 
sameness  in  this  particular,  common  to  the  three  systems. 
Be  sure,  there  are  a  few  discrepancies,  incoherencies,  and 
inconsistencies  permeating  each  other  in  our  modern 
spirit  revelations,  not  to  be  found  in  the  other  two ;  but 
on  the  whole,  ia  the  light  of  Paganism  and  Mohammedan- 
ism, there  is  sufiicient  accuracy  to  justify  the  conclusion, 
that  modem  Spiritualism  is  simply  an  improvement  upon 


INTERNAL  EVIDENCE.  257 

the  former  developments  to  suit  our  times,  by  the  same 
spirit  author  who  has  ever  operated  upon  mortals, 
through  "the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eye,  and  the 
pride  of  life."  In  the  evident  unity  of  design  common 
to  all  three,  there  is  evidence  sufficiently  conclusive,  of 
the  common  authorship  of  all  three  ;  and  this  belongs  de- 
monstrably to  the  "  Prince  of  the  power  of  the  air ;" 
and  confessedly^  too,  because  the  spheres  being  below  our 
moon,  and  their  inhabitants  having  governments  like 
those  on  earth,  this  Prince,  Hke  the  Principle  God, 
should  also  be  a  Principle  subordinating  all  things  in  the 
spheres.  The  New  Testament  only  takes  the  Hberty  of 
making  this  a  personal  being,  and  calling  him  "The  Devil." 

"  Is  heaven  a  place  where  pearly  streams 
Glide  over  silver  sand, 
Like  childhood's  rosy  dazzling  dreams 

Of  some  far  fairy  land  ? 
Is  heaven  a  clime  where  diamond  dews 
f^  Glitter  on  fadeless  flowers, 

And  mirth  and  music  ring  aloud 
From  amaranthine  bowers  ? 

"Ah !  no ;  not  such,  not  such  is  heaven  I 

Surpassing  far  all  these :  > 

Such  can  not  be  the  guerdon  given 

Man's  wearied  soul  to  please. 
For  saint  and  sinner  here  below 

Such  vain  to  be  have  proved  ; 
And  the  pure  spirit  will  despise 

"Whate'er  the  sense  hath  loved. 

"  There  we  shall  dweU  with  Father,  Son, 

As  is  divinely  said, 
And  with  the  Holy  Spu-it  one ; 

In  glory  like  arrayed : 
And  not  to  one  created  thing 

Shall  our  embrace  be  given ; 
But  all  our  joy  shall  be  in  God, 

For  only  God  is  heaven." 


258  A  THBEE-FOLD  TEST. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

•*  What  cwicord  hath  Christ  with  Belial  ?"— 2  Cor.  6  :  15. 

THE   GOOD  AND   EVIL   OF   SPIRITUALISM   CONTRASTED. 

The  Benefits  of  Spiritualism — A  Catalogue— Clairvoyance  tested— The 
other  Side — Case  of  Doughty — Others — Spiritualistic  Bigamy — Demoniac 
Murders  and  Suicides— Other  Cases— The  Wakemanites — Shocking 
Affair — Edmonds's  List  of  Benefits  review^ed — Davis's  List  of  Benefits — 
Tallmadge's  Letters— A  Demon's  Bible-Class ! 

The  success  of  any  new  enterprise  requires,  that  tlie 
men  engaged  in  it  should  be  able  to  set  forth  its  advan- 
tages so  as  to  interest  and  persuade ;  for  unless  others 
can  be  made  to  see  and  appreciate  it,  there  is  an  end  to 
the  fondliest  cherished  hope. 

None  are  better  aware  of  this  than  Spiritualists,  as  Ave 
may  judge  from  their  vigorous  use  of  the  press.  An 
almost  endless  variety  of  fact,  anecdote,  and  grave  dis- 
sertation, spread  out  in  books,  pamphlets,  and  jDapers, 
have  this  end  in  view,  namely,  to  persuade  the  reader 
of  the  superiority  of  this  cause,  as  the  true  religion  ;  to 
prove  it  the  best  vehicle  of  divine  benevolence ;  and  to 
show  the  substantial  good  that  accrues  to  every  individual 
who  has  independence  enough  to  reject  the  trammels  of 
a  false  faith,  and  the  false  doctrines  of  popular  theology  ; 
who  will,  upon  the  best  evidence,  consent  to  yield  him- 
self up  to  a  heaven-sent  agency,  designed  to  purify  and 


A   LIST    OF   BENEFITS.  259 

elevate  the  soul;  and  who  will  accept  the  best  conso- 
lation that  mourners  can  receive,  a  consolation  that 
flows  from  actual  intercourse  and  loving  communion  with 
the  happy  spirits  of  our  departed  friends,  ever  anxious 
to  impress  the  living  with  the  great  fact  of  their  own  im- 
mortality, that  thus  we  may  realize  ours.  This  is  the 
burden  of  their  teachings,  both  by  the  itinerant  exposi- 
tor and  the  printed  page. 

It  is  our  design  to  show  that  this  pretension  is  the  very 
gist  of  the  deception.  This  is  no  very  hard  task,  for 
when  one  sits  down  calmly  to  an  examination  of  the  re- 
corded evidences  of  the  good  and  the  evil,  and  sifts  out 
all  the  facts,  the  assertion,  the  declamation,  the  rhetorical 
flourishes,  and  rhapsodical  effusion,  to  the  bottom,  he  will 
be  struck  with  the  amazingly  small  residuum  of  good 
compared  with  the  vast  amount  of  evil^  physical,  mental, 
and  moral,  already  realized  in  the  infancy  of  this  move- 
ment. 

Now  we  read  the  foUowing  suggestive  fact  in  Matt.  4:9: 
''^All  these  things  will  I  give  thee^  if  thou  wilt  fall  down 
and  worship  me."  This  was  a  mighty  benefit  offered,  and 
Satan  is  just  as  accommodating  now  as  he  was  in  the 
days  of  Christ.  We  have  no  doubt  that  he  will  exert 
himself  to  do  a  great  deal  more  in  the  way  of  "  benevo- 
lence," when  he  finds  his  hook,  so  poorly  baited,  so  quickly 
swallowed  not  only  by  gudgeons,  eels,  flat-fish,  and  small 
fry,  but  by  some  of  the  very  leviathans  of  the  deep. 

A  specimen  of  the  vast  good  accomplished,  is  given  in 
the  '•''Telegraph'' 8  answer  to  Rev.  Mr.  Mahan,"  pp.  22,  23  : 

"  1.  Diseased  persons  who  were  regarded  as  incurable 
by  ordinary  professional  modes,  have  been  restored  to 
health.  2.  Many  individuals  have  been  mysteriously  ad- 
monished of  approaching  danger ;  several  having  been 
taken  up  bodily,  or  otherwise  suddenly  moved  out  of  the 
way  of  impending  destruction.     3.  Others,  beiag  spkitu- 


260  A  THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

ally  influenced,  have  avoided  collisions  on  railroads,  ex- 
plosions, sliipwrecks,  and  various  disasters  by  land  and 
sea.  4.  Dishonest  debtors  have  been  compelled  to  leave 
home,  and  to  travel  hundreds  of  miles  in  search  of  those 
whom  they  had  defrauded ;  and  they  have  been  forced 
to  cancel  the  claims  of  their  creditors.  5.  Men  who  were 
formerly  addicted  to  profanity,  gambling,  intemperance, 
tobacco-chewing,  and  other  vicious  or  injurious  practices, 
have  been  arrested  and  reformed.  6.  Bar-rooms  have 
been  closed  by  the  direction  of  spirits,  and  the  proprie- 
tors have  been  induced  to  abandon  the  traffic  in  intoxicat- 
ing liquors.  7.  Unprincipled  men  and  lewd  women  have 
been  developed  as  mediums,  or  otherwise  assured  of  the 
presence  of  spirits,  and  by  this  means  have  been  taken 
from  houses  of  prostitution  and  led  forth  into  the  walks 
of  virtuous  society.  8.  Persons  while  under  spiritual  in- 
fluence have  been  mysteriously  moved  and  guided  into 
strange  places,  where  they  have  found  others  ready  to 
perish  with  hunger,  cold,  or  from  some  other  cause  ;  and 
such  persons  have  been  saved  from  further  suflering — 
perhaps  from  death — ^by  the  timely  discovery  of  their 
situation,"  etc.,  etc. 

In  answer  to  this,  we  have  to  say,  that  the  number  of 
cases  at  the  best,  allowing  all  this  to  be  true,  which  allow- 
ance must  be  cum  grano^  is  comparatively  so  small  under 
each  specification  that  it  amounts  almost  to  nothing  in 
proof  of  the  mighty  claim  set  up.  We  contend  that  ex- 
traordinary claims  must  be  sustained  by  corresponding 
proof,  and  that  under  circumstances  which  must  be  satis- 
factory to  reasonable  minds.  Let  us  look  at  them  for  a 
moment. 

1.  It  is  very  possible,  that  diseased  persons  may  be 
physicked  to  death,  "by  ordinary  professional  modes;" 
and  when  one  so  reduced  as  to  be  given  up  by  the  phy- 
sicians, has  left  off  taking  medicine,  he  may  recover.  Such 
instances  have  been  known  everywhere;  but  no  one 
would  think  of  attributing  their  restoration  to  spirits. 
It  is  not,  however,  stated  here,  how  many  deaths  have 


A   LIST    OF   BENEFITS.  2G1 

occurred  in  consequence  of  "  diseased  persons"  trusting 
to  the  prescriptions  of  media.  We  believe  tliat  the 
spirits  have  hilled  many  more  than  they  have  cured. 

We  met  with  the  following  announcement  in  the 
Spiritual  Telegraph  of  July  26th,  1856  : 

"clairvoyant  examinations  and  treatment. 

"  A.  B.  Smith,  Rondout,  N.  Y.,  Clairvoyant  and  Spirit 
Medium  for  healing  the  sick.  Mr.  S.  can  examine 
patients  at  a  distance  by  having  their  names  and  re- 
sidences submitted  to  his  inspection.  Each  letter  in  which 
the  writer  requires  such  an  examination  must  inclose  one 
dollar.  Each  prescription,  if  the  medicine  he  furnished^ 
one  dollar  additional." 

4|  Having  a  desire  to  test  Clairvoyance,  we  determined 

to  try  it,  and  therefore  wrote  the  following  letter : 

New- York,  July  2^th^  1856. 
Mr.  a.  B.  Smith  : 

Dear  Sir:  In  looking  over  the  Spiritual  Telegraph 
to-day  I  noticed  your  advertisement,  by  which  I  perceive 
you  can  examine  and  prescribe  for  patients  at  a  distance, 
^  hy  having  their  names  and  residence  submitted  to  your 
^  inspection.  I  learn  most  of  our  mediums  are  now  out 
of  town.  I^ot  wishing  to  send  to  the  residence  of  any 
upon  an  uncertainty,  I  have  determined  to  send  to  you  for 
an  examination  only.  I  wish  to  know  whether  I  am  per- 
manently diseased ;  if  so,  or  not,  what  is  the  part  affect- 
ed, and  what  are  my  prospects,  and  is  it  worth  while  for 
me  to  do  any  thing  ?  I  inclose  the  fee,  hoping  to  hear 
from  you,  if  possible,  the  latter  part  of  this  week. 
Please  don't  fail.  I  have,  what  I  have  sometimes  seen 
described  as,  an  "  all-gone  feeling." 

Yours  truly, 

William  R.  Gordon. 

(Residence  given.) 


262  A   THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

To  this  I  received  in  due  time  the  foUowins:  answer : 


o 


"RoxDOUT,  Aiiff.  2,  1856. 
"  William  R.  Goedon  : 

"  Dear  Sir  :  yours  July  29th  is  received  and  the  money 
also  we  hav  examined  your  case  and  it  is  represented 
to  me  that  the  diaphragm  is  aifected  also  the  inner  coat- 
ing of  the  stomach  also  the  liver  and  spleene  is  effected 
The  urinary  organs  and  kidneys  are  effected  there  is 
some  scorfulous  humor  in  the  blood  there  is  a  weakness 
in  the  nerves  of  the  back.  It  is  represented  you  can  be 
restored  to  comfortable  health  provining  you  can  follow 
the  directions.  Yours  truly, 

"  A.  B.  Smith." 


This  will  do  for  Clairvoyance,  and  Spirit-cures.  Mr. 
G.  is  in  perfect  health,  and  rarely  otherwise ;  he  is  able 
to  go  through  as  much  labor  as  most  men,  every  day,  and 
that  often  protracted  far  into  the  night,  without  feeling 
any  inconvenience,  except  occasionally  the  "  aU-gone 
feehng."  Now  if  clairvoyance  will  load  a  healthy  man 
with  a  multitude  of  disorders  for  one  dollar,  what  will  it 
do  for  a  sick  one?  Simply  this.  It  will  send  him  to 
dig  yams  upon  the  Judge's  black  sand  plane,  or  to  pro- 
gress in  some  other  sphere ;  unless  a  kind  providence  over- 
rules his  foUy :  that's  all. 

But  we  do  not  deny  that  some  cures  may  have  been 
effected  apparently  by  very  funny  means.  Thesamehave 
been  done  in  all  ages.  Satan  can  afford  even  to  multiply 
such  specimens  of  benevolence,  in  consideration  of  the 
prodigious  evil  he  may  thereby  accomplish  bythe  instru 
mentality  of  energetic  men,  badly  taken  in. 

2.  The  mysterious  admonitions  may  aU  be  true,  but 
that  does  not  prove  the  value  of  Spiritualism,  since  they 
have  occurred  in  cases  where  their  subjects  have  accredit- 
ed them  to  the  special  providence  of  God,  a  doctrine 


A   LIST    OF   BENEFITS.  263 

denied  by  Spiritualists ;  and  their  opinion  is  justified  by 
the  teachings  of  Scripture  on  that  subject. 

3.  Because  some  men,  by  means  of  dreams,  or  otherwise, 
have  avoided  calamity,  that  does  not  prove  the  truth  of 
Spiritualism,  for  such  deliverances  have  often  been  effect- 
ed in  those  who  have  not  had  the  privilege  of  spiritual- 
istic experience.  It  is  not  fair  to  deny  the  evidence  of 
the  plenary  inspiration  of  the .  Bible,  and  then  take  the 
proof  of  one  of  its  doctrines,  and  appropriate  it  to  the 
support  of  a  system  opposed  to  the  Bible. 

4.  Conscience  has  forced  dishonest  men  to  make  resti- 
tution, and  while  this  known  fact  is  before  us,  we  can 
not  accept  similar  facts  as  evidence  for  Spiritualism. 

5.  With  respect  to  the  vices  stated  under  this  head, 
the  writer  knows  media  that  live  by  spirit  manifestations, 
and  yet  are  addicted  to  some  of  them. 

6.  As  to  the  evidence  arising  from  the  closing  of  bar- 
rooms by  the  "  direction  of  spirits,"  it  is  more  than  bal- 
anced by  the  opening  of  bar-rooms  under  their  guidance : 
for  bad  spirits  promote  more  misery  by  this  means  than 
any  other  that  can  be  named. 

*'  7.  Unprincipled  men  and  lewd  women  have  been  deve- 
loped as  mediums."  We  have  heard  of  this  before,  and 
know  of  a  case  where  a  principled  man  was  made  unprin- 
cipled by  such  development;  for  after  making  money 
enough  at  his  new  business  to  pay  his  board,  he  spent  it 
instead,  at  "  houses  of  prostitution,"  and  finally  ran  away 
and  defrauded  the  man  with  whom  he  boarded,  of  some 
fifty  dollars.  Cases  like  this,  go  to  invaUdate  the  special 
claim  made  in  behalf  of  Spiritualism. 

8.  As  to  the  mysterious  guidance  of  persons  into 
strange  places  where  they  have  saved  others  ready  to 
perish,  we  can  not  see  how  this  can  make  weight  for 
Spiritualism,  because  we  have  often  read  of  the  same 


264  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

things  being  done  by  dogs ;  but  perhaps  dogs,  in  the 
opinion  of  our  philosophers,  may  be  the  subjects  of 
spiritual  influence  as  well  as  men. 

Four  other  specifications  of  the  wonderful  good  accom- 
plished by  Spirituahsm  are  given,  much  weaker  than  the 
foregoing.  Instead  of  examining  them,  perhaps  we  may 
as  well  give  some  specimens  of  the  evil  produced.  If 
this  be  great,  then  our  argument  is  complete  against 
these  shallow  pretensions. 

We  quote  from  a  work  entitled  "  Spiritualism  against 
Christianity,  by  Rev.  J.  W.  Daniels,"  which  we  take  the 
liberty  of  commending  to  the  attention  of  both  friends 
and  foes  of  this  movement.  It  is  the  best  for  common 
readers,  that  we  have  seen  of  all  the  answers,  investigations, 
etc.,  of  the  advocates  of  Christianity,  a  very  few  of  whom 
have  had  either  time  or  inclination  to  bestow  upon  this 
seemingly  absurd  theme : 

"a  family  EUTNED   by   SPIErniALISM. 

"  Mr.  George  Doughty,  a  respectable  farmer  of  Flush- 
ing, Long  Island, '  possessed  of  considerable  property,  hav- 
ing his  interest  excited  by  the  reports  of  the  doings 
of  the  mediums  of  this  mischievous  and  absurd  de- 
lusion, resolved  to  seek  out  one  of  the  professors  of  the 
Spiritual  doctrines,  and  make  himself  acquainted  with  the 
mysteries  which  they  pretend  to  disclose.  With  that  in- 
tention he  proceeded  to  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  was  introduced  to  a  professed  medium,  a 
lady  named  Mrs.  French,  whom,  after  a  short  acquaint- 
ance, he  invited  to  visit  him  and  his  family  on  Long 
Island  ;  and  from  that  time — some  years  ago — up  to  with- 
in a  recent  date,  she  has  been  a  constant  visitor  at  the 
farmer's  house,  where  she  was,  at  the  wish  of  the  unfor- 
tunate man,  treated  as  one  of  the  family. 

" '  A  few  weeks  since,  however,  she  arrived  in  the  city 


EVILS   PRODL' Ciil>.  265 

of  New- York,  and  instead  of  proceeding  direct  to  the 
farmer's,  as  she  was  wont  to  do,  took  rooms  at  the  Irving 
House,  where  she  was  accompanied  by  a  strange  man,  who, 
she  informed  the  farmer  upon  visiting  her,  was  about  writing 
an  interesting  legend  of  the  spirit-land,  she  furnishing 
the  materials  and  the  matter.  Such  was  the  influence  she 
had  acquired  over  the  farmer,  and  the  strange  delusion 
under  which  she  labored,  that  she  induced  him  to  adopt 
her  as  his  daughter,  and  finally  to  make  over  to  her  near- 
ly his  entire  property. 

" '  The  wife  of  the  unfortunate  victim  endeavored  to 
restrain  him  in  his  mad  career,  but  did  not  succeed.  By 
threats  of  violence,  he  compelled  his  gentle  partner  to 
make  an  assignment  of  her  interest,  in  his  affairs  to  him ; 
after  which,  he  proceeded  to  convert  his  effects  into  cash — 
which  amounted  to  about  15,000  dollars  in  all — and  this  he 
immediately  paid  over  to  the  medium  at  the  Irving  House, 
upon  which  the  latter  took  French  leave  and  departed, 
going,  it  is  reported,  back  to  Pittsburgh.  The  next  day 
he  seemed  partly  to  realize  the  extent  of  his  folly,  and 
called  upon  his  friend  the  medium — but  lo,  and  behold  ! 
the  charmmg  creature  was  missing,  as  was  also  the  fabu- 
lous book-writer.  He  then  asked  to  be  shown  to  the 
room  she  had  occupied,  and  declared  he  would  commit 
suicide.  His  request  was  of  course  refused,  and  he  was 
driven  from  the  house.  He  then  proceeded  to  the  resi- 
dence of  an  acquaintance  in  New- York,  and  there  repeat- 
ed his  determination  to  shuffle  off  this  mortal  coil.  He 
finally  went  home,  and  his  friends,  with  very  natural  mis- 
givings as  to  the  propriety  of  permitting  him  to  have  un- 
limited liberty,  had  him  arrested  and  conveyed  to  the 
New- York  Lunatic  Asylum,  where  he  now  remains  a  con- 
firmed lunatic.  *  *  *  rpj^e  yictim  of  the  con- 
spiracy is  the  father  of  two  very  interesting  daughters, 
and  has  many  respectable  relatives  and  connections  in  this 
city,  whose  feelings  with  regard  to  the  sad  event  may  be 
easily  imagined.  Such  are  the  particulars  of  one  of  the 
most  infamous  cases  of  heartless  fraud  and  delusion  which 
has  probably  ever  been  recorded.  The  reputed  medium 
is  reported  to  be  an  abandoned  female  of  the  worst  cha- 
racter,'— Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle,  Feb.  25,  1852." 


266  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

Mr.  Doughty  was  personally  known  to  the  present 
writer.  His  family  lives  within  the  neighborhood  of 
Flushing,  and  the  above  facts  are  well  attested,  though 
related  in  a  much  milder  way  than  the  terrible  circum- 
stances would  naturally  suggest  to  most  men  who  are 
accustomed  to  chronicle  passing  events. 

This  medium,  is  now  or  lately  has  been,  in  this  city,  do- 
ing a  thriving  business,  if  we  may  credit  the  accounts  we 
hear.  Now,  if  our  Spiritualists  are  such  benevolent,  good 
men  as  they  say  their  system  makes  them,  why  do  they 
coimtenance  one  who  has  been  the  author  of  so  much  mis- 
ery to  the  estimable  family  of  poor  Doughty  ? 

"  The  following  heart-rending  cases  were  published  in 
the  iVl  Y.  Medical  Gazette  : 

"  '  A  case  of  insanity  has  occurred  within  a  few  days, 
by  reason  of  the  revelation  made  by  mysterious  raps,  that 
the  steamship  Atlantic  had  been  wrecked,  with  the  loss  of 
all  on  board;  although  since  this  melancholy  catastrophe, 
the  passengers,  whose  "  spirits"  were  declared  to  have  made 
the  rapping,  have  arrived  at  home — one  of  them  to  find 
his  wife  a  maniac,  from  a  belief  in  these  ghostly  knock- 
ings.  Another  female  has  just  been  sent  to  the  asylum, 
by  reason  of  the  mesmeric  operations  upon  her  nervous 
system,  avowedly  for  the  purpose  of  rendering  her  clair- 
voyant, but  with  the  efiect  of  dooming  her  to  lunacy. 
And  these  recent  instances  are  not  merely  isolated  cases, 
for  in  several  of  the  asylums  the  victims  of  these  kindred 
impostures  are  hopelessly  insane.' 

SPIEirUALISTIC   BIGAMY. 

'"A  singular  case  of  bigamy  recently  occurred  in  this 
city,  which  illustrates  the  new  uses  to  which  spirit 
raps  may  be  appropriated.  A  woman  named  Susan  A. 
Hubbard  was  arrested  for  the  above  oifense,  and  taken 
before  Justice  Osborne,  of  the  Lower  Police  Court,  for  a 


EVILS  PEODUCED.  267 

hearing,  on  the  20th  inst.  It  was  alleged  that  she  had 
three  or  four  husbands ;  but  it  was  necessary  only 
to  prove  the  existence  of  two  marriages.  Rev.  Mr.  Sag- 
gart,  (Taggart,)  a  Baptist  clergyman,  one  of  the  witnesses, 
identified  the  prisoner  as  the  person  whom  he  had  some 
years  since  married  to  Hubbard.  Hubbard  himself  was 
present,  and  was  identified  by  the  witness — thus  proving 
that  he  was  not  dead,  but  had  unfortunately  "  turned 
up." 

"  'The  second  husband  (or  rather  one  of  the  subsequent 
husbands)  was  also  present,  and  swore  to  his  recent  mar- 
riage with  the  defendant.  Mr.  Smucker,  the  counsel  for 
the  prosecution,  wished  to  know  the  circumstances  under 
which  the  last  marriage  had  been  brought  about.  The 
witness,  Henry  W.  Smith,  was  a  schoolmaster.  He  had 
first  met  the  prisoner  at  an  assemblage  of  Spiritualists  on 
the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Lispenard  street.  She  was 
a  prominent  member  of  'the  circle  which  met  there  from 
time  to  time,  to  summon  the  world  of  spirits*to  their  pre- 
sence and  interrogate  them.  The  prisoner  gradually  be- 
came acquainted  with  the  witness,  (a  robust,  good-looking 
young  man,)  and  having  conceived  a  passion  for  him,  set 
about  the  work  of  inducing  him  to  marry  her.  He  heard 
that  she  had  former  husbands,  and  wished  to  know  if  they 
were  dead.  At  the  next  meeting  she  summoned  the 
whole  of  them  from  the  land  of  shadows,  and  made  them 
all,  one  after  the  other,  testify  to  the  fact  that  they  were 
dead,  (in  the  body,)  and  give  other  interesting  items  as 
to  their  spiritual  condition.  The  young  man,  being  a  firm 
believer  in  Spiritualism,  could  not,  of  course,  deny  such 
evidence ;  and  being  attracted  by  the  smartness,  intelli- 
gence, and  good  looks  of  the  "  medium,"  he  married  her. 
Not  long  after,  he  discovered  that  her  "  spiritual  manifes- 
tations," were  lying  manifestations,  and  that  there  were 
three  or  four  other  claimants  to  the  possession  of  his  wife, 
one  of  whom  was  black!'' — Ifew- York  paper. 

DEMONIAC   MUEDEKS   AND   SUICIDES. 

"'Matthew  Langdon,  a  printer  in  this  city,  38  years 
of  age,  followed  up  the  circles  and  consulted  the  spirits. 


268  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

out  of  anxiety  to  become  a  seeing  medium^  till  he  was  in- 
stigated to  cut  his  throat,  which  ultimately  caused  his 
death. 

" '  Dr.  Elliot,  surgeon  at  the  Bellevue  Hospital,  to 
which  Mr.  Langdon  was  sent  after  his  throat  was  cut, 
testified :  "  He  told  us  he  had  been  influenced  by  spiritual 
manifestations  to  commit  suicide."  ' — New-  York  Times ^ 
Jan.  8,  1853. 

" '  Two  girls  in  Lawrence,  Mass.,  a  few  years  since,  one 
the  daughter  of  Mr.  Ramsdell,  a  medium,  believed  the  lie 
which  the  spirits  then  taught,  that  all  were  happier  after 
death,  and  determined  to  commit  suicide.  When  pur- 
chasing laudanum  for  this  purpose,  the  druggist  inquired 
what  they  wished  it  for.  They  replied,  '  To  cure  the  ear 
ache.'  The  laudanum  was  taken,  and,  if  we  recollect 
right,  proved  fatal  with  one  of  them. 

" '  Mr.  Samuel  Cole,  residing  in  Washington  County, 
Ohio,  who  was  made  insane  from  the  workings  of  the 
spirit-rapping  delusion,  became  possessed  of  the  idea  that 
he  must  offer,  like  Abraham,  a  sacrifice  to  the  Supreme 
Ruler  of  the  Universe.  He  accordingly  proceeded  to 
carry  his  object  into  execution,  by  taking  off  one  of  his 
feet,  which  he  succeeded  in  doing  some  days  since,  in  a 
very  scientific  manner,  and  with  an  heroic  determination 
that  would  compare  with  the  self-sacrificing  deeds  done 
in  the  earlier  ages.  His  family,  fearing  that  some  other 
of  his  limbs  might  be  demanded  in  a  hke  cause,  had  him 
conveyed  to  the  Lunatic  Asylum  at  Columbus,  where  he 
is  now  in  the  enjoyment  of  as  much  liberty  as  the  nature 
of  his  disease  will  warrant.' — Register^  Phila.^  Feb.  28, 
1853. 


"A  correspondent  of  the  Puritan  Recorder^  in  1852, 
supposed  to  have  been  Dr.  Enoch  Pond,  of  Bangor,  Me., 
said :  '  Only  a  few  days  ago  the  papers  gave  an  account 
of  a  man  in  Barre,  Mass.,  who  had  been  much  given  to 
the  rappings  and  other  spiritual  manifestations,  who  be- 
came a  raving  maniac,  threatened  the  life  of  his  family, 
and  was  committed  to  the  Lunatic  Asylum  near  Worces- 


EVILS   PEODUCED.  269 

ter.    He  was  led  to  attempt  the  life  of  his  family  in  obe- 
dience to  a  supposed  revelation  from  the  spirit  world.' 

" '  Almira  Bezely,  a  medium  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  pre- 
dicted that  her  infant  brother  would  die  at  a  specified 
time,  and  then  bought  arsenic,  with  which  she  poisoned 
him !  On  her  trial  for  murder,  Samuel  B.  HoUiday  testi- 
fied ;  "  It  was  in  evidence  before  the  [coroner's]  jury,  that 
the  death  of  the  child  was  predicted  by  the  rappings.  My 
impression  is  that  the  child  died  at  about  the  time  pre- 
dicted. I  do  not  think  she  could  have  committed  the 
crime  without  this  influence."' — Providence  Journal^ 
October  22,  1851. 

" '  This  case  illustrates  the  mode  by  which  the  spirits 
sometimes  verify  their  predictions ! 

"  '  Mr.  Brittan  says :  "  Under  the  head  of  '  Spiritual 
Diabolism,'  an  exchange  paper  has  the  following :  '  The 
spirits  are  inciting  their  victims  to  all  sorts  of  nefarious 
deeds.  Here  is  an  instance :  F.  A.  Edwards,  at  Equi- 
nank.  Pa.,  a  medium,  thinks  that  one  of  the  spirits  commu- 
nicating through  him  is  the  Devil,  to  whom,  as  directed, 
he  offered  a  sacrifice  of  burnt  cats.  Then  the  spirit  told 
him  he  must  kill  his  daughter  and  an  apprentice-boy  at 
work  in  his  shop,  and  offer  them  up.  He  told  his  folks 
that  the  spirit  had  directed  him  so  to  do,  and  he  must  do 
so.  Fearful  lest  he  should  do  so,  as  he  appeared  perfect- 
ly under  the  control  of  the  so-called  spirit,  indeed,  per- 
fectly insane,  his  friends  had  him  placed  under  restraint. 
— Telegraph,  May  12,  1855. 


) » 


" '  Judge  Edmonds  relates  "  that  an  evil  spirit  visited 
one  of  his  circles,  took  possession  of  Mrs.  S.,  the  medium, 
manifested  a  very  unhappy  frame  of  mind,  sometimes 
setting  the  company  at  defiance  and  acted  as  though  he 
hated  them.  The  medium  was  very  much  distressed  by 
the  whole  thing,  frequently  wept  bitterly,  and  resisted  as 
far  as  she  was  able ;  but  he  seemed  to  have  obtained  en- 
tire possession  of  her,  compelling  her  to  do  and  to  say 
things  which  she  would  gladly  have  avoided."  After  oc- 
cupying their  attention  for  most  of  the  evening,  "  he 
left  her,  hut  not  until  he  had  throion  her  upon  the  floor  in 
great  distress.'''' '     {Spiritualism^  p.  464.) 


270  A   THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

"' Amherst'  says,  in  Telegraphy  N"o.  182,  he  'has  seen 
'mediums  rolling  on  the  floor ^  uttering  grunts  like  swine  / 
giving  vent  to  the  most  hideous  yells  y  and  at  times  heat- 
ing their  bodies  and  tearing  their  hair  like  luyiatics.  If 
we  are  doomed  to  see  a  beautiful  faith  disfigured  with 
such  manifestations  as  we  sometimes  now  receive,  let  us 
pray  that  there  may  he  some  one  raised  up  amongst  us 
who  shall  he  endowed  with  power  to  cast  out  the  "  un- 
clean spirits.''^ ' 

" '  PhiUp  Jarret's  daughter,  aged  fifteen,  of  Behnont 
County,  Ohio,  was  singularly  affected  from  October,  1851, 
to  March,  1852.  She  had  paroxysms  of  extreme  profan- 
ity and  obscenity,  though  uniformly  decent  when  in 
health.  They  held  her,  at  times,  to  keep  her  from  biting 
her  own  limbs.  During  her  illness  the  dwelUng-house 
was  much  annoyed  by  raps  from  invisible  powers.  A  re- 
putable witch-doctor  was  called  in  the  latter  part  of  Feb., 
1852.  He  made  passes,  or  operated  by  the  laying  on  of 
hands.  She  then  recovered  suddenly,  (in  a  few  minutes, 
her  father  says,)  and  the  noises  ceased.  She  had  been 
attended  in  the  fall  and  winter  by  allopathic  doctors  who 
did  not  consider  her  insane,  but  devilish. 

" '  Mr.  Pinel — quoted  by  Dr.  Rush  in  his  lecture  on  Me- 
dical Jurisprudence,  p.  382 — mentions  the  case  of  a  man 
who  had  a  murdering  impulse  "  in  no  degree  obedient  to 
his  will,"  but  whose  memory,  judgment,  and  imagination 
were  perfectly  sound.  The  doctor  reports  several  cases 
similar,  in  which  persons  apparently  sane  have  committed 
hostilities  on  themselves,  wives,  or  children,  without  knoio- 
ing  a  cause  for  it.  Whether  these  persons  owe  their  af- 
flictions to  the  cause  stated  in  the  5th  of  Mark  as  affecting 
the  man  who  was  '  always  crying,  and  cutting  himself  with 
stones,'  until  delivered  of  the  unclean  spirits  by  Christ, 
may  deserve  consideration.  His  cutting  himself  was  sui- 
cidaV 

"  '  When  one  is  diseased  in  the  will,  and  hostile  to  him- 
self, though  in  other  respects  rational,  he  may  be  possess- 
ed by  a  spirit,  who  controls  his  actions,  and  makes  him 
commit  such  hostihties.  The  case  of  Jarret's  daughter 
seems  to  indicate  demesmerization  as  a  curative  ;  also  that 


w 

EVILS   PRODUCED.  211 

in  Mark  5  ;  Christ,  in  Matthew  12  :  27,  implies  that  others 
cast  out  spirits  as  well  as  he  :  "  If  I  by  Beelzebub  cast  out 
devils,  by  whom  do  your  children  cast  them  out?"  Jo- 
eephus,  in  the  8th  book  of  Jewish  Antiquities,  chapter  2d, 
speaks  of  it  as  a  sanative  practice,  and  that  he  had  seen 
♦  one  Eleazer  do  it  in  the  presence  of  the  Emperor  Vespasian ; 
^  and  that  he  placed  a  bowl  of  water  before  the  patient,  and 
commanded  the  spirit  to  upset  it  as  he  passed  out. 

"  '  As  to  the  power  of  evil  spirits  to  take  possession  of 
one,  there  may  be  causes  for  it,  both  moral  and  physical. 
Touching  the  case  of  Knightsville,  our  guardian  spirits 
may  be  repelled  by  extreme  perverseness,  leaving  us  to 
be  controlled  by  bad  spirits,  whose  presence  is  said  to  be 
known  by  a  certain  feeling  of  despondency  and  uneasi- 
ness. The  same  causes  that  make  our  neighbors  despise 
us,  may  make  the  spirits  despise  us,  and  abandon  us  to 
bad  spirits,  obduracy,  hardness  of  heart,  or  utter  disregard 
of  truth,  if  it  conflicts  with  prejudice — persisting  to  hold 
the  same  opinion,  if  convinced  against  the  will.  No 
oflense  against  the  Holy  Ghost  or  the  laws  of  nature  is 
forgiven.  Who  walks  over  a  precipice  in  contempt  of 
the  law  of  gravity,  will  suffer  the  penalty.  Who  retains 
the  same  opinion  still,  if  convinced  against  his  will,  must 
disgust  all  good  spirits.  They  can  not  cling  to  him  with 
pleasure,  and  if  forsaken  by  them,  the  bad  may  possess 
him,  and  make  him  war  on  himself  as  he  warred  on  the 
truth,  bite  his  own  limbs,  thrust  his  hand  into  the  fire,  mur- 
der his  wife  and  children,  taJce  poison,  or  the  halter. 

" '  Thos.  H.  Geniit. 

"  'St.  Glairsmlle,  Ohio,  Dec.  17,  1854.'  » 
— Spiritual  Telegraph,  May  12,  1855. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  horrid  murders  recently  com- 
mitted in  Connecticut  by  the  Wakemanites  were  in  con- 
sequence of  intercourse  with  spirits. 

"  It  was  agreed  among  them  that  Mr.  Matthews,  the 
victim,  '  had  a  bad  spirit,'  that  he  came  to  Mrs.  Wake- 
man's  house,  '  with  his  hands  tied  to  get  rid  of  his  bad 
spirit,'  that  'he  was  hurting  her  with  his  bad  spirit,' 
that  '  he  wanted  the  evil  spirit  out,  and  said,  "  You  had 


272  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST.  ^ 

better  kill  me,"  that  Uncle  Sammy  said  *'  We  had  better 
take  a  stick  and  knock  this  evil  spirit  out  of  him,"  '  that 
'  Mrs.  Hersey  said,  "  The  witch-hazel  stick  was  better  than 
any  other,"  '  that  Mr.  Jackson  '  believed  that  witch-hazel 
would  keep  away  evil  spirits  ;  that  they  gave  him  a  walk- 
ing-stick of  witch-hazel  to  keep  away  the  evil  spirit,'  that 
he  '  told  Mr.  Sly  that  he  had  better  strike  Matthews  only 
one  blow,  and  that  might  break  the  "  power." '  Mr.  Sly, 
like  all  demoniacs,  '  appeared  extremely  nervous.  He 
said  "  I  cut  this  witch-hazel  stick  about  two  weeks  ago ; 
I  believe  there  is  great  power  in  the  hazel ;  thought  I 
might  di'ive  out  the  evil  spu-it,  and  break  the  enchant- 
ment by  tea  made  of  the  bark ;  I  struck  Mr.  Matthews 
on  the  right  temple  with  this  stick ;  he  fell  down  and  did 
not  say  a  word ;  I  struck  him  several  times  after  he  was 
down ;  I  did  this  for  fear  he  would  cast  his  evil  spirit  on 
my  sister  ;  I  held  up  his  head  and  cut  his  throat  several 
times,  and  stabbed  the  fork  into  his  breast  several  times. 
The  influence  I  was  wider  led  me  to  do  this  ;  I  was  in- 
fluenced by  a  wrong  spirit  to  go  further  than  I  had  anti- 
cipated^ or  had  any  idea  of^'' ' — Daily  Tribune^  December 
28,  1855." 

We  clipped  the  following  from  the  New  -  York  Times^ 
Dec.  21,  1855: 

"shocking  affair — ^THE  FEUITS   OF   SPIRITUALISM. 

From  the  Philadelphia  Evening  Bulletin. 

"  This  morning,  at  an  early  hour,  much  excitement  was 
created  in  the  Second  Ward  by  the  attempt  of  a  man 
named  John  Crowley  to  murder  his  mother,  Mrs.  Mary 
Crowley.  The  family  resides  in  Mechanic  street,  near 
Parker.  This  morning  John  entered  the  chamber  of  his 
mother,  armed  with  a  hatchet,  and  struck  her  upon  the 
head  with  the  weapon  while  she  was  lying  in  bed.  The 
hatchet  was  fortunately  dull,  and  the  wound  inflicted  was 
not  serious.  The  mother  clutched  at  the  weapon,  and  the 
son  attempted  to  cut  off  her  hand.  Her  cries  finally 
brought  her  husband  to  her  assistance,  and  the  son  es- 
caped, half-dressed  from  the  house  during  the  confusion. 


•  EVILS   PBODUCED.  273 

"  Mrs.  Crowley  received  two  wounds  in  tlie  head,  and 
one  in  the  wrist,  but  neither  are  considered  dangerous.  A 
report  was  current  during  the  morning,  that' the  mother  had 
died  from  her  injuries,  but  there  is  no  truth  in  the  story. 
The  son  was  subsequently  found  wandering  about  Inde- 
pendence Square.  He  was  arrested  and  placed  in  the  lock- 
up at  the  City  Hall. 

"  It  seems  that  the  would-be  matricide  has  been  insane 
through  the  influence  of  SpirituaUsm,  for  two  years.  Last 
night  he  seemed  more  wild  than  usual,  and  took  the  hat- 
chet to  bed  with  him,  without  the  knowledge  of  the  rest 
of  the  family.  This  morning  he  attacked  his  mother,  as 
has  been  already  stated,  for  the  purpose  of  '  knocking 
some  sense  into  her,'  as  he  said.  He  will  probably  be 
sent  to  the  Almshouse,  or  to  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital, 
and  arrangements  to  that  efiect  are  being  made." 

The  author  of  a  late  medical  work,  a  physician  of  this 
city,  thus  writes  :  "  I  regret  to  say  that  a  prolific  cause 
of  derangement,  one  pregnant  with  evil,  is  now  tolerated 
by  the  authorities  in  this  city.  I  mean  the  sacrilegious 
exhibitions  of  the  '  Spirit-Rappers.'  Mind  after  mind  has 
become  insane  upon  this  subject,  and  if  the  reports  of  our 
Lunatic  Asylums  be  true,  many  are  completely  dement- 
ed." Facts,  then,  it  would  seem,  in  his  opinion,  warrant 
a  special  law  against  this  nuisance,  as  much  as  against 
any  productive  source  of  pestilence  or  misery.  To  pro- 
tect themselves  from  this,  our  Spiritualists  hoist  the  flag 
of  Religion. 

Such  are  a  few  of  the  terrible  effects  of  Spiritualism. 
We  think  they  are  its  legitimate  fruits,  and  when  we  are 
brought,  in  the  face  of  such  facts,  to  the  review  of  the 
good  performed,  we  think  our  contrast  greatly  tends  to 
strengthen  the  previous  argument,  assigning  the  whole 
movement  to  the  unmistakable  agency  of  the  Devil,  who 
was  "  a  murderer  from  the  beginning." 
12* 


274  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

We  take  another  brief  synopsis  of  the  advantages  of 
Spirituahsm,  to  which  we  shall  pay  our  respects,  from  a 
"Reply  to  Bishop  Hopkins  on  Spiritualism,  by  Judge 
Edmonds,"  pp.  8,  9  : 

"  Briefly,  then,  to  sum  up  the  argument :  Spiritualism 
prevents  hypocrisy;  it  deters  from  crime;  it  reclaims 
the  infidel ;  it  proves  the  immortahty  of  the  soul ;  it  re- 
cognizes one  God,  and  man's  responsibihty  to  him ;  it 
enforces  the  great  law  of  the  Creator,  by  inducements 
hitherto  unknown  to  man ;  it  heals  the  sick ;  it  gives 
sight  to  the  blind ;  it  cures  the  lame ;  it  comforts  the 
mourner  ;  it  enjoins  upon  all  the  utmost  purity  of  life  ;  it 
teaches  that  charity  which  rather  mourns  over  than  re- 
joices at  the  failings  of  our  fellow-mortals  ;  and  it  reveals 
to  us  our  own  nature,  and  what  is  the  existence  into 
which  we  are  to  pass  when  this  Hfe  shall  have  ended." 

Here,  then,  we  have  the  whole  in  a  nutshell.  Let  us 
examine  it  briefly. 

1.  It  prevents  hypocrisy.  How?  We  are  told,  by 
"  enabling  us  to  know  the  thoughts  and  purposes,  the 
secret  intentions  and  character  of  those  living  around 
us!" 

Now  we  hazard  nothing  in  saying,  this  pretense  is 
impious  and  absurd.  It  is  impious,  because  Spiritualism 
presumes  to  appropriate  a  prerogative  of  the  Almighty 
which  he  gives  to  no  angel,  much  less  to  a  mortal. 
"  Jehovah  searcheth  all  hearts,  and  understandeth  all  the 
imaginations  of  the  thoughts."  (1  Ch.  28  :  6.)  "  For  thou, 
even  thou  only^  knowest  the  hearts  of  all  the  children  of 
men."  (1  Kings  8  ;  39.)  We  shall  not  apologize  for 
quoting  the  authority  of  the  Bible  against  that  of  the 
Judge :  for  we  hold  the  former  unimpeachable,  and  we 
have  proved  the  spirits  with  whom  he  communicates  to 
be  deceivers.    It  is  absurd,  by  the  fact,  that  we  have  in 


SECOND   LIST    OF   BENEFITS.  275 

our  keeping  the  evidence  of  the  grossest  hypocrisy  prac- 
tised by  some  of  the  notables  of  Spiritualism  in  the  prose- 
cution of  their  business^  which  is  very  disgraceful ;  and 
by  the  fact,  that  no  Spiritualist  in  the  exercise  of  this 
pretended  power  has  been  known  to  forestall  the  evil 
j3urposes  of  wicked  men  around  them.  Lavater  will 
help  them  much  better  than  their  spiritual  gift  of  dis- 
cernment in  this  particular. 

2.  It  deters  crime.  Let  facts  already  related  disprove 
this  allegation.  The  truth  is,  Spiritualism  itself,  as  shown 
by  its  volumes,  is  a  vast  comprehensive  system  of  sin 
against  God^  and  crime  against  man.  The  evidence  is 
given. 

3.  It  reclaims  the  infidels.  But  it  has  not  reclaimed 
Dr.  Hare ;  it  has  confirmed  him.  To  say  that  it  convinces 
of  immortality,  is  nothing  to  the  purpose,  because  it  is 
acknowledged  that  the  very  source  of  proof  upon  which 
Spiritualism  rests  for  its  demonstration,  has  existed  from 
the  beginning  of  the  world. 

We  are  told,  "  it  demonstrates  the  immortality  of  the 
soul  by  an  appeal  to  the  senses.  Hitherto  the  appeal  has 
been  to  abstract  reasoning."  Now  the  Judge  has  given, 
in  quotations  from  the  Bible,  a  long  list  of  angels  who  are 
held  to  be  the  spirits  of  dead  men,  and  whose  appearances 
from  the  beginning  down  to  the  end  of  revelation,  are 
appealed  to.  The  numerous  recorded  appearances  and 
spiritual  manifestations  in  all  ages  among  the  heathen 
might  have  also  been  given.  All  these  were  "  appeals  to 
the  senses,"  hence  it  is  not  true  that,  "  hitherto^''''  depen- 
dence rests  upon  abstract  reasoning.  Revelation  is  to  be 
accredited  with  all  the  reliable  proof  that  flowed  from  this 
source,  long  before  the  Judge  existed ;  and  it  is  there- 
fore simply  ridiculous  for  modern  Spiritualists  to  set  up  a 
claim  to  which,  by  their  own  showing,  they  are  not  enti- 


276  A   TIIIIEE-FOLD   TEST. 

tied,  even  were  their  "  familiars"  truthful  spirits.  Mr. 
Capron  assures  us  that  the  stolid  atheist  can  get  his  views 
endorsed  by  spirits,  "  and  good  ones  too,"  as  readily  as 
the  most  devout  rehgionist.  If  this  be  so,  he  may  be  as- 
sured oi  annihilation  as  the  ultimate  destiny  of  the  soul. 
What,  then,  becomes  of  the  "  demonstration"  ? 

4.  It  proves  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  How  can  it 
prove  that  which  has  ever  been  proved,  or  how  can  it 
lay  claims  to  demonstrate  that  which  has  been  demon- 
strated in  every  age,  by  better  arguments  of  the  same 
sort  they  boast  of? 

Paul  says :  "  Our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  hath  brought 
life  and  immortality  to  light  through  the  GospelP  (2  Tim. 
1:10.)  And  this  Gospel  was  preached  or  proclaimed  by 
the  immortal  Son  of  God  unto  Abraham  ;  and  hence,  by 
an  appeal  to  his  senses  and  his  reason,  immortality  was 
demonstrated  by  the  Author  of  it.  Hence  Christ  is  the 
demonstrator,  and  not  lyhig  spirits.  The  world  is  no 
wiser  now  on  that  subject  than  it  was  before  the  fathers 
of  our  authors  were  born. 

5.  It  recognizes  one  God^  and  mail's  respofisibility  to 
himP  Most  wonderful!  Is  this  also  claimed  as  an 
original  idea  of  the  spirits,  incorporated  in  the  new  reli- 
gion? Does  Spiritualism  demand  respect  and  merit 
because  it  does  not  worship  idols  of  wood  and  stone,  or 
because  it  is  not  a  system  of  Polytheism  ?  We,  however, 
dispute  this  claim.  The  Judge,  and  other  gentlemen  who 
are  the  pillars  of  the  fabric,  must  prove  recreant  to  the 
simits  if  they  believe  in  a  personal  God. 

These  "  immortal  advisers"  sturdily  denounce  that,  and 
say  that  God  is  a  principle  !  N"ay,  they  go  farther.  They 
say  that  every  human  soul  is  a  part  of  God  himself  and 
that  its  only  impediment  to  the  exertion  of  the  Divine 
attributes,  is  its  present  relations  to  matter !  This  doc- 
trine was  taught  by  the  Devil  in  the  garden  of  Eden. 


SECOND   LIST    OF   BENEFITS.  277 

"With  him  the  spirits  agree,  therefore,  and  as  he  "  was  a 
liar  from  the  beginning,"  we  must  infer  that  they  are  of 
his  clan,  and  the  system  they  teach  is  pantheism  I 

6.  It  enforces  the  great  law  of  the  Creator  by  induce- 
ments  hitherto  unknown  to  man! 

We  deny  this  allegation  in  every  syllable  of  its  utter- 
ance, and  affirm  there  is  not  a  shadow  of  proof  for  it  in 
all  the  writings  of  Spiritualists. 

7.  It  heals  the  sick.  Why  not  prove  this  by  going 
to  our  hospitals  and  restoring  the  unfortunate  sufferers 
to  health  and  its  comforts  ? 

Our  Spiritualists  are  reduced  to  this  dilemma :  If  they 
are,  as  they  claim,  preeminently  imbued  with  brotherly 
love  and  high  benevolence,  and  if  they  are  possessed  of 
the  power  to  heal  the  sick,  then  by  the  very  terms  of  the 
claim,  they  are  bound  at  least  to  make  a  formal  trial  in 
every  hospital  of  our  city,  or  stand  convicted  of  impos- 
ture. 

8.  It  gives  sight  to  the  hlind^  and  cures  the  lame. 
We  are  told  there  are  hundreds  and  thousands  who 
have  witnessed  these  wonders,  and  the  Judge  puts  this 
sentence  in  italics :  every  man  who  pleases  can  behold 
them  for  himself.  Now,  it  has  not  only  been  our  pleasure 
but  our  anxious  effort  to  test  this  claim ;  but  in  vain. 
We  have  relatives  and  friends  blind  and  lame,  and  desire 
above  all  things  to  have  our  Spiritualists  try  their  power ; 
but  they  are  afraid  to  undertake.  If  every  man  who 
pleases  can  behold  these  things,  nothing  could  be  more 
beneficial  to  the  cause,  than  an  agreement  between  its 
friends  and  skeptics  upon  a  visit  to  our  asylums.  The 
thing  is  needed  for  the  immense  good  that  will  follow  to 
all  parties  concerned,  without  detriment  to  any,  unless 
the  experiment  might  happen  to  fail.  Will  a  response 
come  to  this  call,  adopting  a  test  of  some  value  ?  Come, 
gentlemen,  we  are  ready.     Let  there  be  no  shuffling. 


278  A  THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

Here  are  our  unfortunates  who  would  be  glad  of  relief; 
here  are  multitudes  who  would  be  thankful  for  the  de- 
monstration, and  would  well  appreciate  the  argument. 
What  say  you  ?    Is  not  the  proposition  fair  ? 

9.  It  reveals — what  is  the  existence  into  which  we  pass 
when  this  life  shall  have  ended.  The  Judge  says :  "I 
have  known  this  attempted  by  many  divines,  but  I  never 
knew  any  two  of  them  to  agree  in  their  description. 
Whereas,  in  these  revelations,  there  is  no  discrepancy  on 
this  point."  Indeed !  How  comes  it,  then,  that  Dr.  Hare's 
"  convocation  of  spirits"  ratifying  his  spirit  father's  de- 
scription, "  that  the  spheres  are  concentric  with  the  earth," 
and  "  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  miles  below  the 
moon,"  is  contradicted  by  the  Judge's  spirits,  who  consign 
the  departed  to  different  planets?  Is  there  no  discre- 
pancy here  ?  How  is  it,  that  Monsieur  Cahagnet's  ecstatic 
somnambulists  make  the  wicked  in  the  second  sphere,  all 
comparatively  happy,  notwithstanding  their  degradation, 
while  the  Judge  himself  describes  the  wretchedness  of 
their  condition  as  he  saw  them,  on  the  black  sand-plain  ? 
No  discrepancy  here  ?  How  is  it  about  the  "  saw-mill" 
and  the  "  drink  of  buttermilk"  ?  O  Infatuation  !  what 
hast  thou  done  ?  As  to  the  descriptions  given  by  clergy- 
men, they  are  taken  from  the  Bible,  which  does  not  de- 
scribe but  by  symbols  designed  to  convey  the  idea  of  in- 
describable happiness.  Hence  they  can  not  differ  so  long 
as  they  insist  upon  this  idea,  any  more  than  astronomers 
differ  in  their  descriptions  of  Saturn  and  Jupiter. 

Perhaps  we  may  be  charged  with  the  same  dishonesty 
set  down  to  the  account  of  Bishop  Hopkins.  Of  him  he 
says,  p.  9 : 

"  I  do  not  learn  that  in  reading  extracts  from  my  book 
he  departed  from  the  practice  of  his  calling,  namely, 
that  of  drawing  particular  passages  from  their  context, 


THIED   LIST    OF   BENEFITS.  279 

and  thus  giving  them  a  very  different  meaning  from  the 
true  one — a  practice  which  I  do  not  hold  very  high 
either  in  law  or  Gospel,  and  which  I  have  often  seen 
excite  the  smiles  of  contempt  among  the  inteUigent  minds 
in  church." 

We  have  given  paragraph  after  paragraph,  and  are 
really  sorry  that  our  space  would  allow  of  no  more. 
There  is  enough,  however,  of  text  and  context,  we  hope,  to 
satisfy  any  reasonable  man,  that  we  have  practised  no 
unfairness  in  our  quotations,  while  at  the  same  time  we 
pronounce  the  insinuation  of  the  Judge  against  ministers 
of  the  Gospel,  an  unmitigated  slander^  of  which,  consider- 
ing his  profession,  he  ought  not  to  have  been  guilty. 

The  last  Hst  of  the  "  advantages"  of  Spiritualism  we 
take  from  Davis's  "  Penetralia,"  p.  209 : 

"Does  Spiritualism  have  this  ('practical  benefit') 
effect  on  humanity  ? 

"  Yes  ;  Spiritualism,  in  addition  to  its  scientific  bene- 
fits, has  brought  to  light  many  important  religious  truths, 
among  which  are  the  following  : 

"1.  It  proves  that  man  is  an  organized  substantial 
spirit. 

"  2.  It  proves  that  his  organized  spirit  is  immortal. 

"3.  It  proves  that  his  immortality  consists  of  an  infinite 
series  of  social,  moral,  and  intellectual  progressions. 

"  4.  It  proves  that  all  spirits  advance  from  lower  to 
higher  degrees  of  existence. 

"5.  It  proves  that  this  world  is  not  a  providentially 
probationary  'vale  of  tears' — that  it  is  not  a  fleeting 
show,  for  man's  illusion  given — ^but  that  it  is  the  beginning 
of  his  eternal  and  more  blessed  career. 

"  6.  It  proves  that  the  popular  doctrine  of  '  total  de- 
pravity' is  false  ;  that  mankind,  as  well  as  aU  nature,  is 
progressive,  ascending  from  every  kind  and  shade  of 
imperfection. 

"  7.  It  proves  that  the  popular  doctrine  of 'hell  punish- 
ments' is  false ;  that  instead,  each  individual  is  obliged, 


280  A  THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

by  a  law  of  his  own  being,  to  work  out,  either  in  this  life 
or  the  next,  his  own  salvation  from  error  and  all  manner 
of  sinfulness.  No  vicarious  atonement,  because  punish- 
ment or  pain  is  the  legitimate  and  inevitable  result  of 
transgression. 

"  These  are  a  few  of  the  prominent  '  practical  benefits' 
of  Spiritualism.  How  unspeakably  superior  is  all  this  to 
modern  theology!  Modern  theology  can  not  prove  the 
immortality  of  the  soul ;  nor  can  it  demonstrate  any  thing 
to  the  satisfaction  of  intelHgent  minds,  except  this — that 
it  originated  in  the  East,  in  the  darkest  recesses  of  tradi- 
tion and  superstition,  and  that,  in  its  present  form,  it 
has  proved  itself  quite  incapable  of  blessing  and  harmo- 
nizing mankind." 

The  ,^r5^  thing  here  said  to  be  proved  is  an  absurdity  : 
"  Man  is  an  organized  substantial  spirit"  !  There  never 
was  such  a  man  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  Man  is 
composed  of  an  organized  body  and  a  rational  soul^  both 
equally  real  subsistences. 

The  second  thing  said  to  be  proved  is  that  "  his  organ- 
ized spirit  is  immortal."  There  never  was  such  a  spirit 
on  the  earth.  Attributes  are  not  organs^  and  hence  there 
is  no  immortahty  to  a  thing  that  never  existed. 

The  third  thing  is  more  ridiculous.  Immortality  con- 
sists of  an  infinite  series  of  social,  moral,  and  intellectual 
progressions.  Mortality^  then,  must  be  a  finite  series  of 
the  same  sort ! 

The  fourth  loses  nothing  in  the  way  of  absurdity : 
"All  spirits  advance  from  lower  to  higher  degrees  of 
existence."  We  can  understand  that  there  are  different 
grades  of  excellence  in  existence,  but  the/ac^  of  exist- 
ence can  admit  of  no  degrees.  Hence  there  is  no  proof 
in  the  case. 

The  fifth  proposition  is  contradicted,  ^rs^,  by  the  fact 
that  nobody  ever  has  said  the  world  was  any  such  place 
as  described,  nor  given  for  any  such  purpose  as  hinted  at ; 


I 


THIED   LIST    OF   BENEFITS.  281 

and  second,  by  the  spirits  tliemselves,  wlio  affirm  the  pre- 
existence  of  souls.  Hence  the  world  is  not  proved  "  the 
beginning  of  his  eternal  and  more  blessed  career." 

The  sixth  proposition  is  contradicted  by  all  the  world 
in  general,  and  by  this  author  in  particular,  whose  various 
productions  are  so  many  "manifestations"  of  "total  de- 
pravity" as  to  his  reason  and  his  reasoning. 

The  seventh  proposition  is  contradicted  by  spirits,  in  all 
its  particulars,  as  well  as  affirmed.  Hence  nothing  is 
proved.  Besides,  it  is  a  slap  in  the  face  of  truth,  brought 
to  our  understandings  and  our  hearts  by  the  Bible,  which 
the  author,  it  would  seem,  thinks  it  an  important  part  of 
his  mission  to  vilify  and  cry  down. 

Such  are  the  "  prominent  practical  benefits"  of  Spiritu- 
alism. They  are  fair  to  look  upon,  like  the  apples  of 
Sodom,  but  when  they  are  examined  they  contain 
nothing  but  dust  and  gas.  These  are  offered  us  as  spirit- 
ual food,  while  the  author  last  named  does  his  best  (and 
that  is  poorly  done)  to  degrade  the  Bible,  pour  out  his 
contempt  upon  its  doctrines,  burlesque  "  modem  theolo- 
gy," and  in  his  ignorance  and  wickedness  revile  the  min 
istry  of  reconciliation.  ^N'ow  as  many  media  put  out 
their  "  tins,"  like  other  professional  gentlemen,  we  suggest 
that  his  be  garnished  with  this  most  pathetic  stanza,  and 
surrounded  by  a  border  of  amaranthine  flowers  and 
spiritual  fruit : 

"Who  killed  Cock  Eobin? 
^  said  the  sparrow, 
"With  my  bow  and  arrow ; 
JkiUed  Cock  Eobin." 

We  have  given  but  a  sample  of  the  evils  already  real- 
ized in  the  march  of  Spiritualism.  We  have  not  given 
any  of  the  family  broils  occasioned,  such  as  results  from 
spirits  assuring  a  father  that  one  of  his  children  was  not 


282  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

his,  and  other  such  things.  We  have  said  little  of  the 
thousands  demented  and  otherwise  ruined  by  this  wretch- 
ed business  ;  but  we  have  shown  enough  to  nullify  the 
pretensions  made  to  great  personal  benefit. 

Contrast  the  miserable  "  advantages,"  as  above  giv- 
en, with  the  tribulation  and  anguish  consequent  upon 
our  rebutting  facts,  and  we  think  it  will  be  apparent  to 
every  reader,  divesting  himself  of  prejudice,  that  the  for- 
mer by  no  means  furnish  adequate  evidence  in  favor  of 
the  claims  of  the  system.  So  far  from  this,  ihey  are 
quite  compatible  with  our  explanation  referring  the  whole 
to  infernal  agency.  And  when  we  take  into  the  count 
the  admissions  of  Spirituahsts  already  noticed,  it  is  per- 
fectly demonstrable  that  a  very  large  balance  of  probabil- 
ities are  on  our  side  of  the  question,  while  of  course  they 
have  nothing  of  certainty  to  boast  of,  in  a  matter  where 
certainty  is  most  needed. 

We  say  the  manifestations  of  this  movement  are  all  the 
work  of  bad  spirits — flying,  deceiving  spirits.  We  say 
this  is  beyond  any  reasonable  doubt,  and  our  opponents 
can  not  successfully  deny  it.  We  have  proved  it  to  be  a 
fact,  and  they  can  not  disprove  what  we  have  thus 
established.  They  may  answer  and  argue,  but  after  they 
have  done  so  to  theu-  hearts'  content,  they  can  never  in- 
validate the  proof  of  our  position. 

But  Governor  Tallmadge  says,  in  his  letter  to  Hon.  Mr. 
Simmons  :  "  Many  persons,  unable  to  resist  the  evidence 
of  the  spiritual  source  of  these  communications,  are  finally 
compelled  to  admit  them,  and,  as  a  last  resort,  charge 
them  as  emanating  from  evil  spirits.  I  consider  this  as 
giving  up  the  controversy.  There  may  be  communica- 
tions from  evil  spirits  ;  but  that  does  not  conflict  with  the 
communications  which  bear  internal  evidence  of  coming 
from  the  '  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect.' " 


WHAT  IS   PROVED.  283 

This  is  an  extraordinary  paragraph.  What  is  the  con- 
troversy? That  these  manifestations  come  from  om- 
departed  friends.  They  who  deny  this  proposition, 
surely,  can  not  be  said  to  yield  the  controversy  by  refer- 
ring the  phenomena  to  evil  spirits ;  because  such  exist, 
and  it  is  admitted  such  do  communicate,  and  that  they 
are  able  to  deceive,  and  do  deceive.  Now  we  simply 
"  try  the  spirits"  by  the  tout  ensemlile  of  the  whole  mat- 
ter. We  have  given  a  theee-fold  test,  by  which  it 
may  be  tried  by  others :  our  own  experience,  the  internal 
evidence  of  spirit  literature,  and  the  Bible.  Mr.  Tall- 
madge  says,  (Appendix  to  vol.  i.  of  Spiritualism^  pp.  440, 
461:) 

"  I  have  always  maintained,  and  still  maintain,  that  these 
'  spirit  manifestations'  go  to  confirm  the  great  and  leading 
doctri7ies  of  Christianity.  If  they  differ  in  any  respect 
from  the  particular  tenets  of  the  denomination  to  which 
this  writer  belongs,  it  is  no  greater  difference  than  that 
which  he  will  hear  from  the  pulpits  of  other  denomina- 
tions every  Sunday  of  his  life  !  And  still,  all  denomina- 
tions maintain  the  great  and  leading  doctrines  of 
Christianity,  and  all  go  to  the  Bible  to  establish  the  par- 
ticular tenets  which  constitute  the  discrepancies  between 
each  other. 

"  Those  who  have  known  me  best  and  longest  know 
that  I  have  always  maintained  the  great  truths  of  the 
Bible,  as  the  anchor  of  ow  hope ;  that  skepticism  has 
7iever  darkened  my  mental  vision  ;  that  I  have  contributed 
as  much  as  any  one,  according  to  my  ability,  in  the  circu- 
lation of  the  Bible,  and  in  the  building  and  establishment 
of  churches  to  propagate  the  truth  of  its  doctrines.  I 
have  seen  nothing  in  these  '  spiritual  manifestations'  to 
change  my  opinions,  but  much  to  confirm  them.  And 
still,  by  a  total  perversion  of  what  I  have  said,  I  am  gra- 
ciously charged  as  authority  for  '  rank  blasphemy.'  I  bow 
with  deep  humility  to  the  over-righteousness  of  this  in- 
cognito of  the  Intelligencer.,  and  confess  with  shame  that, 


284  ,  A  THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

with  all  my  efforts  to  live  up  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
Bible  which  he  and  I  profess,  I  have  come  so  far  short  of 
the  requirements  of  that  sacred  volume.  From  the  appa- 
rent sanctity  which  he  has  thrown  around  himself,  I  feel 
that  I  am  following  him  in  his  career  of  righteousness, 
as  lulus  followed  JEneus  from  the  flames  of  Troy,  haud 
passihus  cequis.  But  I  am  not  as  one  Tvithout  hope. 
From  my  investigation  of  Spiritualism  I  am  getting  the 
fundamental  truths  of  the  Bible  reaffirmed." 


This  letter  was  written  May,  1853.  We  have  proved 
that  the  spirits  teach  the  most  revolting  doctrines  to  Prof. 
Hare,  who  has  long  been  in  the  sea  of  infidehty,  swimming 
at  the  bottom.  We  have  proved  that  the  spirits  teach 
the  principal  parts  of  the  same  system  of  infidelity  to 
Judge  Edmonds  and  Dr.  Dexter,  though  in  a  less  revolt- 
ing way,  because  they  have  previously,  at  least,  respected 
Christianity.  We  now  prove  that  they  affirm  the  funda- 
mental truths  of  the  Bible  to  a  gentleman  whose  mental 
vision  was  never  darkened  by  skepticism,  and  to  whom 
the  Bible  has  been  the  anchor  of  his  hope !  What  are 
we  to  make  of  this  ?  Here  we  have  verified  the  assertion 
of  Mr.  Capron,  previously  quoted,  that  the  most  confirm- 
ed atheist  can  get  his  views  sanctioned  by  spirits^  as  rea- 
dily as  the  most  devout  believer  in  any  of  the  thousand 
forms  ill  which  popular  theology  has  clothed  the  Author  of 
nature  ! 

Thus  we  see  that  the  spirits  conform  themselves  to  the 
likes  and  dislikes  of  men  on  the  matter  of  religion  ;  and 
thus,  in  this  stratagem,  confirm  our  previous  remarks 
upon  their  character,  and  demonstrate  themselves  to  be 
the  agents  of  the  devil,  whose  object  it  is  to  ruin  the 
souls  of  men. 

If,  however,  the  spirits  do  not  succeed  in  their  confirma- 
tion of  the  Bible  to  the  Governor  better  than  in  the  fol- 
lowing instance,  they  will  give  very  unfortunate  evidence 


A   DEMON'S   BIBLE   CLASS.  285 

of  their  alliance  with  a  certain  Biblical  expositor,  who 
came  to  Christ  with  his  pious  cant  confirming  the  truth 
of  the  Bible. 

In  a  recent  volume  called  the  "  Spiritual  Reasoner,"  by 
Dr.  Lewis,  we  have  at  first  sight  a  circle,  bearing  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  JBihle-class^  with  whom  the  spirit  of  John 
JLoclce  statedly  met,  and  at  each  session  directed  them  to 
read  a  portion  of  the  Bible,  and  then  he  would  explain 
and  apply.  This  we  thought  would  be  very  interesting? 
but  when  we  read  a  little  way  on,  O  shade  of  John 
Locke !  how  we  did  execrate  the  villainous  spirit  that  so 
abused  thy  venerable  name. 

We  here  present  specimens  of  spirit  confirmation  of  the 
Bible. 

"Feb.  1,  1851.  Locke  spelled,  'Read  John,  11th  chap- 
ter and  26th  verse :  "  And  whosoever  liveth  and  beheveth 
in  me,  shall  never  die.     Believeth  thou  this  ?"  ' 

"  Q.  Is  it  the  body  only  that  dies  ? 

"  A.  Yes ;  and  spelled,  '  And  this  will  have  its  excep- 
tions. Read  Matthew,  16th  chapter,  27th  and  28th  ver- 
ses ;'  and  continued,  '  there  are  some  of  this  generation, 
who  will  never  die,  even  their  bodies ;  and  there  are  those 
who  are  called  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  who  can  not  be 
made  alive,  or,  in  other  words,  are  not  redeemed  on  the 
earth.' "  ! ! !     {Spiritual  Reasoner^  p.  31.) 

"Feb.  12.  We  were  directed  to  read  the  8th  chapter 
of  John,  26th  verse :  '  I  have  many  tilings  to  say  and 
judge  of  you,  but  he  that  sent  me  is  true ;  and  I  speak  to 
the  world  those  things  which  I  have  heard  of  him.' 

"  Told  us  he  wished  to  convey  to  us  by  this  a  sense  of 
his  watchful  care  and  guardianship  over  our  conduct 
and  actions,  both  at  present  and  in  the  future.  Spelled 
out,  '  God  judges  of  good  deeds  as  well  as  bad.'  Also  he 
wished  to  show  to  us,  that  his  mission  to  us  and  the  world 
was  from  God,  and  to  instruct  us  as  he  had  heard  or  been 
instructed.  He  then  gave  us  the  2d  chapter  of  Romans, 
2d  verse :  '  But  we  are  sure  that  the  judgment  of  God  is 


286  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

according  to  truth  against  them  which  commit  such 
things ;'  and  closed  by  giving  the  2d  chapter  of  Hebrew 
to  read,  desiring  us  to  notice  particularly  the  13th  to  18th 
verses.  After  reading  it,  we  asked  what  was  meant  by 
the  word  devil  therein  spoken  of.  He  spelled  out ;  '  A 
term  used  to  represent  sin.''  "  ! !     {Idein^  p.  42.) 

"Feb.  15.  Locke  gave  this  evening  the  3d  chapter  of 
John,  6th  and  '7th  verses  :  '  6.  That  which  is  born  of  the 
flesh  is  flesh,  and  that  which  is  born  of  the  spirit  is  spirit. 
7.  Marvel  not  that  I  said  unto  thee,  ye  must  be  born 
again.' 

"  Explanation,  Being  bom  of  the  flesh  means  being 
born  of  sin.  Spelled,  '  It  is  natural  for  man  to  sin.'  Being 
born  of  the  spirit,  he  spelled,  '  All  your  minds  and  afiec- 
tions  are  changed  when  spu'itually  born.' 

"  Q.  Can  the  new  birth  take  place  before  we  leave  the 
body? 

"-A.  Yes. 

"  Q'  Will  it  take  place  with  all  after  they  leave  the 
body  ? 

"•A.  Yes. 

"  Q,  Does  the  death  of  the  body  constitute  a  new 
birth  with  all  ? 

'-''A.  Yes.  And  spelled,  'But  some  fall  into  lower 
spheres  than  others.' 

"  Q.  Does  man  always  know  when  he  experiences  the 
new  birth  ? 

"  A.  No."     (Idem,  p.  43.) 

"March  12.  Locke  gave  1  Timothy,  4th  chapter,  1st, 
2d,  6th,  8th,  10th,  12th,  15th,  and  16th  verses:  '  1.  Now 
the  Spirit  speaketh  expressly,  that  in  the  latter  times 
some  shall  depart  from  the  faith,  giving  heed  to  seducing 
spirits,  and  doctrines  of  devils :  2.  Speaking  lies  in  hy- 
pocrisy ;  having  their  consciences  seared  with  a  hot  iron. 
6.  If  thou  put  the  brethren  in  remembrance  of  these 
things,  thou  shalt  be  a  good  minister  of  Jesus  Christ, 
nourished  up  in  the  words  of  faith  and  of  good  doctrine, 
whereunto  thou  hast  attained.  8.  For  bodily  exercise 
profiteth  little :  but  godliness  is  profitable  unto  all  things, 
having  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that  which 
is  to  come.     10.  For  therefore  we  both  labor  and  sufier 


A    DEMON'S   BIBLE   CLASS.  287 

reproach,  because  we  trust  in  the  hving  God,  who  is  the 
Saviour  of  all  men,  specially  of  those  that  beheve. 
11.  These  things  command  and  teach.  12.  Let  no  man 
despise  thy  youth ;  but  be  thou  an  example  of  the  be- 
lievers, in  word,  in  conversation,  in  charity,  in  spirit,  in 
faith,  in  purity.  15.  Meditate  upon  these  things;  give 
thyself  wholly  to  them  ;  that  thy  profiting  may  appear  to 
all.  16.  Take  heed  unto  thyself,  and  unto  the  doctrine; 
continue  in  them :  for  in  doing  this,  thou  shalt  both  save 
thyself,  and  them  that  hear  thee.' 

"A   SPECIAL  EXHORTATION  TO    ALL   PEESENT."       {Idcm^ 

p.  63.) 

Pity  they  did  not  take  the  hint ! 

"July  16.  We  asked  Locke  to  instruct  us  concerning 
the  redemption,  as  we  have  never  had  any  direct  teach- 
ing from  him  on  this  subject.  He  spelled  :  '  You  are  un- 
able to  comprehend  teaching  on  that  subject  at  present.' 
We  told  him  we  had  seen  communications  from  other 
spirits,  teaching  the  redemption  of  both  soul  and  body, 
plain  and  direct.  He  spelled  in  reply,  '  The  spirits  who 
gave  those  communications  saw  it  as  they  gave  it.  You 
cannot  see  the  true  meaning,  neither  could  the  spirits  who 
gave  them.  They  gave  it  as  they  received  it.  Does 
Gardner  understand  all  the  communications  given  through 
him  ?  Can  a  child,  with  all  its  purity,  understand  alge- 
bra ?' "     {Idem,  p.  107.) 

This  is  strange  teaching  for  Locke  ! 

"Aug.  22,  1852.  The  spirits  taught  us  to-day,  (while 
speaking  of  the  new  or  second  birth  referred  to  by  the 
Saviour  in  his  conversation  with  Nicodemus,  as  recorded 
in  the  3d  chapter  of  John,)  that  no  person  had  ever  ex- 
perienced it  except  Enoch,  Elijah,  and  Jesus  Christ.  We 
asked  if  they  would  explain  to  us  what  it  consisted  in,  in 
a  few  words.  They  answered,  '  Yes,'  and  spelled, '  Living 
faith.'  And  in  answer  to  questions,  said  that  a  person 
having  this  living  faith  was  spiritually  born,  and  could  not 
experience  death  and  corruption.  (! ! !) 


* 


288  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

"  We  inquired  concerning  the  hell  spoken  of  in  the 
Bible,  and  Locke  spelled,  '  Christ  passed  through  all  the 
hells,  while  partaking  of  our  nature  before  his  crucifixion 
and  redemption;'  said  he  commenced  passing  through 
them  at  twelve  years  of  age.  We  replied,  that  accordmg 
to  the  general  behef  of  the  world  there  was  but  one  hell. 
In  answer  he  spelled,  '  The  hells  are  as  vast  as  the  heavens. 
You  have  passed  through  some  of  them ;  as  soon  as  you 
become  wholly  devoted  to  God  you  have  passed  the  whole 
of  the  hells.'  We  asked  if  it  could  be  possible  for  man  to 
pass  through  all  wliile  in  the  body.  He  spelled  in  reply, 
'  Man  can  become  so  perfect  that  the  last  hell  can  be 
passed  by  throwing  off  the  natural  body  while  on  the 
earth.'"     (Idem.,  p.  169,  170.) 

"March  13,  1852.  Locke  now  introduced  another 
spirit,  by  giving  us  notice,  that  he  was  about  to  do  so, 
by  spelling  the  name.  '  Nott'  was  spelled ;  said  it  was 
Dr.  Nott,  formerly  of  Union  College.  The  Dr.  conversed 
with  us  upon  the  deep  responsibility  of  his  station  while 
in  the  body  ;  and  then  Locke  introduced  Robert  Burns, 
the  poet,  in  the  same  way."  ! ! !     {Idem,  p.  135.) 

But  the  Doctor  is  not  out  of  the  body  yet,  nor  out  of 
Union  College ! 

Such  are  the  Bibhcal  lessons  given  by  spirits.  That 
they  are  perversions  of  truth,  we  need  hardly  say.  And 
if  the  doctrine  of  salvation  from  the  "  damnation  of  hell" 
by  the  atonement  of  Christ,  can  be  abstracted  from  the 
sa\dng  faith  of  the  Gospel,  which  anchors  the  soul  on  him 
as  "  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world,"  Satan  and  all  his  angels  will  gladly  falsify  the 
Bible  to  any  extent,  and  with  "  all  deceivableness  of  un- 
righteousness" will  turn  expositors  of  the  word  of  God. 
"  Another  gospel,"  will  answer  his  purpose  just  as  w^ell 
as  no  Gospel  at  all.  This  is  evident  from  the  folly  of  the 
inferential  discourse  of  the  author  of  the  book  last  quoted. 
Speaking  of  such  expositions,  and  spirit  directions  to  scrip- 
tural passages,  most  absurdly  appropriated  to  the  cause  of 


Wf 


X   DEMO:n'S    BIBLE    CLASS.  289 

Spiritualism,  he  says :  "  If  they  were  given  by  evil,  or  the 
devil,  he  did  not  falter  or  tire  in  proclaiming  truth,  from 
first  to  last.  If  they  do  not  carry  the  evidence  of  truth, 
and  an  emanation  from  heaven,  on  the  face  of  them,  then 
we  confess  we  can  not  understand  what  is  truthful,  or 
what  is  heavenly."     The  last  sentence  is  very  probable. 

JSTo  part  of  the  system  is  more  vulnerable  than  that  on 
which  our  Spiritualists  seem  most  to  rely.  The  miserable 
puerilities  and  imbecility  of  its  literature,  attributed  to 
the  intellects  of  Swedenborg,  Bacon,  Locke,  FrankUn, 
Webster,  Calhoun,  and  others  of  that  stamp,  are  covered 
with  unbounded  absurdity.  It  can  be  answered  in  no 
other  way,  but  by  satire,  and  in  itself  is  entitled  to 
nothing  higher  than  an  outpouring  of  ridicule  from  an  in- 
dignant world.  Our  own  communications  speak  for 
themselves.  All  that  we.  have  seen,  are  no  better ;  there- 
fore we  repeat,  that  our  three-fold  test,  beyond  the  power 
of  a  successful  denial,  proves  modern  Spiritualism  to  be 
the  offspring  of  evil  spirits,  beguiling  and  deceiving  men 
by  infernal  acts,  for  the  purpose  of  leading  souls  to  reme- 
diless ruin.  There  is  no  way  of  escaping  this  conclusion, 
either  by  sophistry  or  sound  logic.  We  really  do  not 
see  how  the  leaders  of  this  movement  can  help  laughing 
out  in  each  other's  faces,  at  these  miserable  pretensions. 
If  old  lamblichus  took  it  to  be  an  evidence  of  the  divinity 
of  his  "  Spiritualism,"  that  it  "made  a  stupid  man  speak 
wisely,"  can  we  take  it  to  be  an  evidence  of  the  same 
high  origin,  that  our  "  Spiritualism"  makes  wise  men 
speak  stupidly  ?  Alas !  for  our  preposterous  age  of  "  pro- 
gression !" 


13 


290  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

"Prodttoe  your  causa,  saith  the  Lord  j 
Bring  forth  your  strong  reasons,  saith  the  King  of  Jacob. 
Let  them  bring  them  forth,  and  show  us  what  shall  happen  ; 
Let  them  show  the  former  things,  what  they  be, 
That  we  may  consider  them,  and  know  the  latter  end  of  them 
Or  declare  us  things  for  to  come. 
Show  the  things  that  are  to  come  hereafter, 
That  we  may  know  that  ye  are  gods : 
Tea,  do  good,  or  do  evil, 

That  we  may  be  dismayed,  and  behold  it  together. 
Behold,  ye  are  of  nothing. 
And  your  work  of  naught : 
An  abomination  is  he  that  chooseth  you." — Isaiah  41 :  21-24. 

THIRD   TEST    OF   SPIRITUALISM. 

THE  BIBLK 

The  Bible  the  best  Test — Fulfilled  Prophecy — Nineveh— Babylon— Tyre — 
Spiritualistic  Prophecies — The  Antediluvian  Man — Mistaken  Predictions 
The  Loss  of  the  Steamer  Pacific — Prediction  respecting  the  Ericsson 
— The  Way  of  explaining  Failures — Miracles — Spiritualist  Miracles — An 
Estimation  of  them — Lack  of  Mother-wit — Spirit  Cures — Testimony  of 
Tertullian — Origin  of  Heathen  Oracles — Imitations  of  God's  Method 
— Urim  and  Thummim — Ancient  Spiritualism  condemned — Reason  for 
it — Unfair  Dealing  with  the  Bible — Angels  not  departed  Spirits— Ex- 
planation of  Rev.  22  :  8,  9 — The  Bible  against  modern  Spiritualism. 

We  are  well  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  Bible  is  the 
butt  of  ridicule  for  the  witlings  of  this  enlightened  age, 
and  that  our  Spiritualists  proudly  place  before  it  the 
authority  of  their  "  immortal  advisers."    "We  have  prov- 


BIBLE  PEEDICTIONS.  291 

ed,  what  they  do  not  deny,  that  by  communicating  spirits 
they  are  liable  to  gross  deception.  It  can  not  therefore 
be  supposed  that  we  should  respect  their  sentiments  of 
our  standard  of  truth,  in  the  face  of  their  own  sweeping 
admissions.  Their  objections  are  old  and  stale,  without 
even  the  merit  of  new  combinations ;  and  often  ridicu- 
lously feeble,  because  they  are  founded  on  ignorance  and 
not  on  hnowledge :  and  therefore  can  never  invalidate  that 
which  has  been  proved  to  be  true. 

Hence  it  would  be  quite  needless  for  us  to  go  into  a 
formal  defense  of  the  Scriptures,  but  we  mean  to  produce 
facts  to  show  that  the  Bible  is  the  best  test  by  which  the 
pretensions  of  this  so-called  "  new  religion"  can  be 
tried. 

We  take  the  subject  of  fulfilled  prophecy  to  prove 
that  the  long  lapse  of  time  between  the  predictions  we 
select,  and  their  fulfillment,  in  both  of  which  particular 
answers  to  particular,  absolutely  thrusts  upon  us  such  a 
high  degree  of  evidence  of  divine  origin,  that  the  wonders 
of  modern  Spiritualism  do  not  deserve  to  be  mentioned 
with  them  in  the  same  century. 

It  wiU  not  be  disputed  that  the  Old  Testament,  as  we 
have  it,  was  in  existence  some  300  years  before  Christ, 
for  it  was  then  translated  into  Greek,  and  was  noticed 
by  several  historians  on  account  of  the  story  of  the  trans- 
lators' cells.  It  can  not  therefore  be  disputed,  that  the 
prophecies  we  shall  mention  were  at  that  time  within  the 
Bible  just  as  we  find  them  recorded. 

The  prophet  Nahum  flourished  about  400  years  before 
this  translation  was  made,  and  uttered  this  prophecy 
respecting  the  ancient  and  magnificent  city  of  N'ineveh^ 
remarkable  for  the  particulars  brought  to  notice. 

"The  burden  of  Nineveh.  With  an  overrunning 
flood  he  will  make  an  utter  end  of  the  place  thereof,  and 


292  A  THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

darkness  shall  pursue  his  enemies — affliction  shall  not  rise 
up  the  seeond  time  :  for  while  folden  together  as  thorns, 
and  while  they  are  drunken  as  drunkards,  they  shall  be 
devoured  as  stubble  fully  dry."     E'ah.  1  :  8,  10 ;  2  :  6. 

One  hundred  years  afterwards,  Zephaniah  lived  and 
prophecied  against  Nineveh  thus : 

"  He  will  stretch  out  his  hand  against  the  north,  and 
destroy  Assyria;  and  will  make  Nineveh  a  desolation, 
and  diy  like  a  wilderness,  and  the  flock  shall  lie  dovfn  in 
the  midst  of  her,  all  the  beasts  of  the  nation :  both  the 
cormorant  and  the  bittern  shall  lodge  in  the  upper  lintels 
of  it,  their  voice  shall  smg  in  the  windows ;  desolation 
shall  be  in  the  thresholds  :  for  he  shall  uncover  the  cedar 
work.  This  is  the  rejoicing  city  that  dwelt  carelessly,  that 
said  in  her  heart,  I  am,  and  there  is  none  beside  me ;  how 
is  she  become  a  desolation,  a  place  for  beasts  to  lie  down 
in !  every  one  that  passeth  by  her  shall  hiss,  and  wag  his 
hand."     (Chap.  2  :  13-15.) 

When  these  prophecies  were  uttered,  Nineveh  had 
been  for  a  very  long  time  a  great  city.  Eight  hundred 
years  before  Christ,  Jonah  described  it  as  "  an  exceeding 
great  city  of  three  days'  journey  ;"  that  is,  it  took  three 
days  to  go  around  it.  Agreeably  to  this,  Diodoius 
Siculus,  a  heathen  historian,  declares  this  city  to  have 
been  sixty  miles  in  circumference ;  surrounded  by  wa  Is 
one  hundred  feet  high ;  and  so  broad  on  the  top  tLat 
three  chariots  might  drive  abreast  on  them ;  having  fif- 
teen hundred  towers,  each  two  hundred  feet  high,  placed 
equidistant  on  these  walls  ! 

Nothing  was  more  unlikely  than  the  destruction  of  this 
wondrous  city  at  the  date  of  either  prophecy,  yet  how 
minutely  is  it  described !  among  other  particulars  the 
following  deserve  special  notice  : 

1.  An  overrunning  flood  should  be  the  means  of  its 
cnptivity. 


BIBLE   PREDICTIONS.  298 

2.  At  the  time,  its  inhabitants  should  be  drunk. 

3.  Its  palace  (which  the  conqueror  was  ever  desirous 
of  si3aring)  should  be  molten  ! 

4.  Desolation  should  be  its  portion  for  ever. 
Diodorus  Siculus,  wholly  ignorant  of  the  prediction, 

describes  the  destruction  of  Mneveh  in  all  of  these  parti- 
culars :  and  he  is  confirmed  by  Herodotus,  Strabo,  Tacitus, 
Phny,  and  others.  The  destruction  was  so  total,  and  the 
desolation  so  complete,  that  the  place  where  it  was  situat- 
ed was  unknown  until  modern  times,  in  which  antiquarians 
have  made  their  discoveries  among  the  ruins  of  ages. 
This  prophecy  was  accomplished  at  least  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  years  after  its  utterance  by  Nahum. 

2.  In  declaring  the  fate  of  another  nation,  which  should 
be  accomplished  in  a  manner  the  reverse  of  that  we  have 
just  noticed,  the  Bible  vindicates  its  own  claims. 

Great  Babylon^  which  Herodotus  says  had  one  hun- 
dred gates  of  solid  brass,  and  waUs  thirty-five  feet  high, 
and  thick  enough  for  six  chariots  to  go  abreast  on  them, 
this  mighty  city,  the  glory  of  the  world,  was  foredoomed 
by  the  mouth  of  prophecy.  The  particulars  are  very 
remarkable. 

1.  The  nations  that  should  take  the  city  were  designat- 
ed^ though  hardly  then  in  existence  ! 

2.  The  name  of  the  commander  who  was  to  head  the 
armies  of  invasion  was  given  one  hundred  years  before 
he  was  borti  I 

3.  The  very  time  when  it  should  be  taken. 

4.  The  manner  of  its  capture — that  it  should  be  taken 
by  surprise  during  the  hilarity  of  a  feast — ^not,  hke 
Nineveh,  by  an  overrunning  flood,  but  by  the  drying  up 
of  the  river ! 

5.  That  it  should  be  utterly  destroyed. 

Only  think  of  this  combination  of  circumstances,  and 


294  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

consider  the  improbability  of  the  fulfillment  of  the  pre- 
dictions concerning  that  city.  The  nations  which  should 
take  it,  are  specified  in  Isa.  21  :  2;  Jer.  51  :  11.  The 
name  of  the  commander  is  given  in  Isa.  44  :  28 ;  45  :  1. 
The  time  is  specified  in  Jer.  25  :  11,  12.  The  method  of 
surprise,  by  the  river  being  turned  from  its  course,  in 
whose  bed  the  besieging  armies  marched,  is  mentioned 
in  Isa.  44  :  27 ;  Jer.  1  :  24-38  ;  51  :  30-36.  The  utter 
destruction  is  detailed  in  Is.  13  :  19 ;  14  :  22,  23  ;  Jer. 
50  :  13-40. 

Isaiah  prophesied  one  hundred  years  before  Jeremiah, 
when  Persia  was  just  beginning  to  be.  Jeremiah  pro- 
phesied about  sixty  years  before  Babylon  was  subdued, 
and  at  a  time  when  Nebuchadnezzar  had  greatly  enlarged 
and  strengthened  it.  Its  walls  were  among  the  wonders 
of"  the  world,  and  in  and  around  it  men  gathered  the 
mightiest  works  ever  achieved  by  man.  While  in  the 
strength  of  its  power,  in  the  glory  of  its  mighty  dominion, 
and  in  the  heart  of  a  country  the  very  last  on  earth  to 
be  thought  of  as  a  desolation,  rivalling  in  luxuriance  and 
beauty  the  best  description  of  any  of  the  "  spheres" 
given  by  our  Spiritualists,  one  hundred  and  sixty  years 
before  an  enemy  had  peeped,  prophecy  pronounced  the 
fearful  doom  of  Babylon. 

The  historical  confirmation  of  the  aforesaid  predictions 
is  accurately  given  by  the  heathen  historians  Herodotus 
and  Xenophon,  who  were  ignorant  of  them,  the  former  of 
whom  lived  two  hundred  and  fifty,  the  latter  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  after  Isaiah. 

3.  The  Bible  further  demonstrates  its  own  divine  origin 
by  predicting  the  fate  of  another  mighty  city,  whose  glory 
should  be  reduced  to  a  nonentity  not,  as  in  the  former 
cases,  but  by  merely  sinhing  into  insignificance^  when 


BIBLE   PREDICTIONS.  295 

position  and  circumstances  apparently  made  such  an  event 
the  most  unlikely  that  could  happen. 

Wlien  Ezekiel  wrote,  the  ancient  city  of  Tyee  was  re- 
ioicing  in  the  greatest  commercial  prosperity.  The  voice 
of  prophecy,  for  her  sin,  pronounced  her  doom,  in  Isa. 
23  :  9  ;  Ezekiel  27:32;  28  :  1-20. 

The  particulars  of  the  prophecies,  remarkably  answer 
to  the  particulars  of  the  fulfillment.  The  most  singular 
events  in  history  are  found  in  the  manner  in  which  the 
siege  of  Tyre  was  managed  by  Alexander  the  Great. 
The  city  was  on  an  island  half  a  mile  from  the  shore, 
surrounded  by  a  wall  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high. 
Out  of  the  ruins  of  old  Tyre,  demolished  two  hundred 
and  forty  years  before,  Alexander  constructed  a  mound 
from  the  continent  to  the  island,  but  he  failed.  The 
storm  destroyed  it,  and  its  ruins  remained  buried  in  the 
water.  This  favored  his  renewed  efforts :  the  rubbish 
was  all  gathered,  and  the  soil  scraped  up,  and  heaped 
upon  the  former  material.    Now  read  Ezek.  26  :  4,  12,  21. 

When  Tyre  was  taken,  it  was  Jired.  Fifteen  thousand 
took  to  their  ships,  multitudes  were  slain,  and  thirty  thou- 
sand sold  into  slavery.  Now  read  these  facts  predicted 
years  and  years  before  their  occurrence,  in  the  Scriptures. 
One  hundred  and  twenty-five  years  before  the  destruc- 
tion of  old  Tyre,  Isaiah  pronounced  the  doom  which  in- 
cluded the  new  city ;  and  its  very  occupancy  by  fishermen, 
where  they  spread  their  nets,  as  in  modern  times  seen  by 
travellers,  is  graphically  portrayed  by  Ezekiel ! 

We  might  go  on  with  the  relations  of  prophecy  and 
and  its  fulfillment,  respecting  Egypt  and  other  nations, 
all  going  to  prove  that  such  lapses  of  centuries  between 
the  predicted  and  the  fulfilled,  demonstrate  as  with  the 
voice  of  God,  that  the  Bible  came  from  him  as  its  inspir- 
ing Author. 


296  A    THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

Now  our  rapping  spiritualistic  media  are  prurient  to  be 
accredited  as  missionaries  from  God,  and  in  evidence 
of  the  fact,  utter  predictions  in  an  abnormal  state,  and 
boldly  place  them  by  the  side  of  the  Biblical  prophecies, 
solemnly  declaring  themselves  innocent  of  any  co-mental 
agency  in  originating  them.  They  ask  us  to  accept  them 
as  proof  of  the  divine  mission  of  their  "immortal  ad- 
visers." 

We  can  not  consent  to  degrade  the  word  of  God  by 
any  unworthy  comparison,  hence,  before  we  can  comply, 
we  must  see  whether  these  jiredictions,  in  the  matter  and 
manner  of  their  fulfillment,  in  any  degree  justify  the  high 
claims  set  up.  We  can  not,  indeed,  ask  for  a  fulfillment 
that  leaps  over  many  years,  and  by  its  historical  verifica- 
tions proves  that  their  mission  is  from  God ;  but  we  have  a 
right  to  look  for  an  accurate  fulfillment  at  the  time  or 
times  specified  by  the  spirits,  and  the  particulars  in  a 
prediction  must  correspond  with/ac^5  in  its  fulfillment,  so 
palpably  above  human  agency  to  produce,  that  the  cir- 
cumstances shall  compel  belief.  If  this  condition,  obvi- 
ously necessary,  is  not  complied  with  by  the  spirits,  then, 
surely,  it  must  be  evident  that  every  attempt  at  prophecy 
is  an  attempt  at  imposition,  and  by  the  failure  of  the 
profiered  test  they  prove  themselves  impostors  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  de\dl. 

To  settle  this  matter  we  shall  look  at  some  of  the 
spirit  predictions.  The  first  we  shall  mention  is  one  said 
to  have  come  from  the  spirit  of  Napoleon,  through  the 
medium,  Mr.  J.  F.  Coles,  the  account  of  which  was 
transmitted  to  the  Times  by  Mr.  Hott,  and  published  in 
1854.  The  reader  will  please  to  notice  the  positiveness 
of  Mr.  H.  in  his  prefatory  remarks  respecting  the  identi- 
fication. 


MODERN   PROPHECIES.  29 Y 


"Prophecy  of  napoleon,  as  given  through  mr.  c,  at 

THE   rooms    op   the  ASSOCIATION,  NO.    144    SOUTH-SIXTH 
STREET,  WILLI AMSBURGH,  ON  THE   EVENING   OF  NOV.  29, 

1854. 

"In  submitting  the  following  to  the  public,  I  am  most 
anxious  to  draw  the  attention  of  literary  and  scientific 
minds  more  fully  to  a  class  of  facts  in  the  phenomena  of 
Spiritualism,  which  must  sooner  or  later  have  an  import- 
ant place  among  the  ethics  of  mind,  if  nothing  further. 
I  am  prepared  fully  to  prove  tliat  no  collusion,  no  attempt 
at  hoaxing  the  public  in  the  remotest  manner,  is  possible 
in  this  case.  Be  the  prophecy  true  or  false,  it  came  as 
fully  indorsed  as  I  can  conceive  possible  in  identification, 
as  from  the  spirit  of  Napoleon  : 

"  '  A  map  of  Europe  lies  before  me.  Premature  con- 
vulsions have  somewhat  tended  to  frustrate  the  designs 
of  wise  and  acute  minds.  You  are  now  moulding  the 
destinies  of  Europe  to  their  proper  proportions.  All 
appears  dark  excepting  the  very  centre,  where  light, 
faint  though  it  be,  and  not  yet  well  defined,  is  discerned 
by  the  watchmen  on  the  walls.  The  world  at  large  may 
not  see  cause  for  hope  from  the  faint  gleam,  yet  sage 
minds  rejoice,  because  it  comes  where  it  should  come, 
from  the  centre,  not  from  the  outskirts.  Ere  three 
months  have  passed,  dating  from  this  hour,  an  assassina- 
tion of  a  crowned  head  will  astonish  and  bewilder  the 
magnates  of  Europe^  and  overturn  an  empire  in  another 
quarter.  In  another  quarter^  a  traitor  to  his  Jcing^  hut  a 
loyal  m^an  to  his  God  and  to  his  fellows^  shall  turn  his 
strength  against  his  master^  and  raise  the  banner  of  the 
people.  This  shall  be  some  time  after  the  first  events  of 
which  I  have  spoken.     IsTo  more  to-night.' 

"AzoR  HOTT, 
"  No.  144  South-Sixth  street,  Williamsburgh." 

THE  WAT  MR.   HOYT   GETS   OUT   OF   IT. 

^''Another  Bit  of  Humbug — Note  from  Mr.  Azor  Hoyt, 

"  *  Under  the  euphonious  heading,  'A  Bit  of  Humbug,' 
13* 


298  A  THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

we  found  an  especial  friend  of  ours  placed  in  an  unenvia- 
ble position  before  the  public,  in  your  Saturday's  issue. 

"  '  The  cry  of  humbug  has  become  so  highly  fashiona- 
ble, of  late,  that  it  is  difficult  to  find  any  thing  in  the 
shape  of  truth  or  error  which  has  not  been  under  its 
aristocratic  patronage.  The  prophecy  to  which  you  call 
attention  has  been  considered  so  accurately  correspondent 
to  the  death  of  the  Emperor  Nicholas  of  Russia,  that  Mr. 
Coles  has  claimed  an  ovation  as  a  true  prophet. 

"  *  There  is,  however,  a  prophecy  in  your  columns  re- 
ferring to  Louis  Napoleon's  demise,  which  we  have  since 
been  informed,  by  a  spirit  purporting  to  be  Napoleon  I., 
is  not  to  be  relied  on,  as  he  denies  the  authenticity. 

"  '  With  the  verity  of  these  communications  we  have 
little  to  do.  They  were  published  antecedent  to  the 
events  to  which  they  referred.  If  they  were  inter- 
esting to  the  public,  well  and  good  ;  if  not,  we've  done 
our  best  for  their  edification,  as  it  regards  our  *  mys- 
teries,' and  we  can't  help  their  want  of  appreciation. 

"'A.   HOYT.' 

"  This  is  Mr.  Hoyt's  response  to  our  exposures  of  the 
utter  falsity  of  the  predictions  which  he  was  the  means  of 
obtaining  from  the  other  world,  through  the  alleged  me- 
dium of  a  spirit.  We  quoted  the  prediction  as  sent  to  us 
by  Mr.  Hoyt,  made  Nov.  29,  1854,  in  which  the  spirit  of 
Napoleon  was  represented  as  having  said,  through  a  Mr. 
Coles,  that  within  three  months  from  that  time 

"  '  An  assassination  of  a  crowned  head  will  astonish 
and  bewilder  the  magnates  of  Europe,  and  overturn  an 
empire  in  another  quarter.  In  another  quarter,  a  traitor 
to  his  king,  but  a  loyal  man  to  his  God  and  to  his  fellows, 
shall  turn  his  strength  against  his  master,  and  raise  the 
banner  of  the  people.' 

"  And  Mr.  Hoyt  thinks  that  this  prediction  was  fulfilled 
by  the  peaceful  death  of  the  Emperor  Nicholas,  more 
than  a  year  after  the  time  fixed,  and  without  any  overturn 
of  an  empire,  or  any  other  commotion  whatever. 

"  Mr.  Hoyt  confesses  that  these  alleged  spiritual  reve- 
lations are  intended  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  amuse 
the  pubhc.  With  their  truth,  he  says,  very  coolly,  '  We 
have  little   to  do.'     If  all  the  apostles    of  this    new 


MODERN  PROPHECIES.  299 

absurdity  would  be  equally  frank,  fewer  people  would  be 
deluded  by  their  pretensions.  The  object  of  our  alluding 
to  the  matter  at  all  has  been  fully  attained,  in  the 
acknowledgment  it  has  elicited  from  Mr.  Hoyt,  that  the 
whole  thing  is  a  swindle,  designed  simply  to  entertain  the 
pubHc."  {JV.  Y.  Times,  May  7,  1856.) 

Every  portion  of  this  is  now  proved  to  be  untrue ;  yet 
the  writer  declared  himself  able  to  prove  that  there  could 
have  been  no  imposition,  and  that  in  his  judgment  there 
could  have  been  on  greater  evidence  of  personal  identity 
given.    Take  another  instance. 

A  spirit  in  1852  revealed  himself  through  M.  L.  Ar- 
nold, of  Poughkeepsie,  as  "  God's  High  and  Holy 
Spirit,  Jesus  Christ,  formerly  op  Nazareth"  !  This 
false  Christ  has  communicated  several  volumes.  In  one 
of  them,  termed  "  The  History  of  the  Origin  of  All 
Things,"  we  have  this  precious  piece  of  information  : 

"  The  man  of  the  antediluvian  world  was  a  very  differ- 
ent being  from  the  present  man.  He  was  larger,  strong- 
er, and  more  sensual.  He  was  also  six-fingered  and  six- 
toed,  and  bull-necked.  He  had  a  tail,  and  it  was  the 
apparition  of  beings  of  the  antediluvian  birth  that  caused 
the  popular  notion  of  the  appearance  of  evil  spirits  with 
tails.  He  also  had  homs,  short  and  straight,  proceeding 
from  his  forehead."  (p.  97.) 

"  Were  it  necessary  I  would  confirm  the  truth  of  this 
revelation  by  miracles,  such  as  raising  the  dead  or  healing 
the  sick.  jBut  the  time  has  not  yet  come  for  these. 
When  the  time  comes  it  shall  be  done,  and  through  this 
medium, first  I^"*  (p.  75.) 

This  absurdity,  blasphemously  attributed  to  Christ, 
is  to  be  proved  a  true  revelation  when  the  time 
comes !  This  prophecy  of  future  miracles  will  be  borne 
in  mind. 

We  only  give    Satan  his    due,   however,  when  we 


300  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

acknowledge  his  ingenious  contrivance  to  get  rid  of  the 
devilish  tail  and  the  horns  with  which  his  personage  has 
been  associated  for  ages.  This  scrap  of  evidence  is  good 
for  proof  of  the  source  whence  the  spirit,  last  referred  to, 
came. 

The  following  is  an  ugly  "  manifestation"  as  to  the  way 
in  which  our  modern  prophecies  are  fulfilled  : 

"  Messes.  Editoes  :  Please  do  me  the  favor  to  pub- 
lish this  :  On  my  arrival  in  this  city,  a  week  since,  from 
France  and  England,  I  was  surprised  to  learn  that  a  re- 
port was  current  that  I  had  departed  this  life  some  time 
ago ;  also  that  my  spirit  had  rapped  out  messages,  and 
otherwise  manifested  itself,  some  seven  or  eight  mediums 
in  this  city,  and  as  many  elsewhere,  having  held  inter- 
course with  my  departed  soul.  According  to  one  ora- 
cle I  had  fought  a  duel  and  got  winged;  by  another 
account  I  had  committed /e^o  de  se,  although  it  seems  that 
Z'm  a  'fellow^  yet,  d?ye  see.  One  said  I  died  in  Germany; 
another  in  France  ;  and  still  another,  between  Dover  and 
Dieppe,  France  or  England.  But  sir,  to  quote  from 
Webster,  non  verbatim,  '  I  ain't  dead  yet.' 

"Paschal  Raotjolph." 

(Spiritual  Tel,^o.  178.) 

The  spirit  announcement  that  Dr.  Kane  and  his  party, 
of  the  Arctic  expedition,  were  all  dead,  was  quite  prema- 
ture, for  they  returned  to  prove  that  there  are  lying 
spirits  abroad  in  these  days  of  telegraphic  wonders.  This 
was  unfortunate,  and  something  must  be  done  to  mend 
the  matter.  Accordingly^  a  long  time  after  the  Pacific 
was  due  at  our  port,  we  were  informed  that  before  she 
left  her  wharf  in  New- York,  as  the  event  has  proved,  for 
the  last  time,  it  was  predicted  by  spirits,  on  the  evening 
of  December  23,  1855,  with  "peculiar  emphasis,"  "The 
Steamship  Pacific  will   be  weecked,   and   all   on 

BOARD   will   perish." 


MODERN   PROPHECIES.  301 

This  prediction  was  sent  to  the  editor  of  the  Spiritual 
Telegraphy  but,  as  a  matter  of  prudence,  was  not  then 
published.  It  would  not  do  to  risk  it,  as  in  the  case  of 
Dr.  Kane.  Now,  since  time  has  shown  what  is  the  fate 
of  the  vessel,  we  have  a  long  statement  from  Mr.  Britton, 
in  the  Telegraph  of  the  5th  of  April,  1856,  styled, 
"  Prophecies  by  the  Spirits,"  containing  various  particu- 
lars of  the  sad  disaster, 'as  reported  by  spirits  Faulkner 
and  others  who  were  on  board.  We  are  further  in- 
formed that "  since  the  utterance  of  the  original  prophecy 
respecting  the  loss  of  the  Pacific,  the  writer  has  had  at 
least  a  dozen  interviews  with  the  spirits,  through  Mrs. 
Porter,  who  was  the  prophetess  on  this  occasion.  The 
editor  remarks : 

"  Similar  representations  of  the  loss  of  the  Pacific  have 
recently  been  given  through  other  channels,  but  we  know 
of  no  other  instance  of  a  definite  prophecy  on  this  subject 
having  been  made  at  so  early  a  date  as  the  23d  of  Decem- 
ber. Spirits  from  the  doomed  ship  have  purported  to  be 
present  on  numerous  occasions,  and  in  presence  of  many 
witnesses  have  given  curious,  interesting,  and  satisfactory 
proofs  of  their  identity." 

But  how  are  we  to  get  the  particulars  verified? 
Spirits  are  said  to  have  given  them  through  those  who 
wish  to  subserve  their  own  cause.  Both  parties  are 
interested,  those  "  in  the  form"  as  well  as  those  dislodged. 
Now,  since  there  are  lying  spirits  both  in  and  out  of  the 
form,  how  can  we  ascertain  the  truth  of  the  particulars  as 
here  given,  avowedly  from  Mrs.  P.,  entranced  by  the 
spirit  of  the  purser  of  the  ill-fated  steamer  ?  Here  is  his 
inspired  communication : 

"  When  six  days  out,  the  Pacific  struck  an  iceberg,  at 
11  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  Jan.  29,  and  very  soon  went 


302  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

down,  stern  foremost.  As  the  vessel  sank,  three  persons 
escaped  from  the  wreck  and  found  a  temporary  restmg- 
place  on  the  ice,  but  they  were  subsequently  frozen  to 
death.  It  was  further  alleged  that  there  were  forty-eight 
passsengers  on  board — forty  males  and  eight  females  ; 
that,  at  the  time  of  the  catastrophe,  the  ship  was  in  lati- 
tude 46*'  north ;  that  the  Captain  was  at  fault  in  taking 
the  course  he  did,  his  object  being  to  make  a  quicker  trip 
than  the  Persia,  which  was  then  on  her  first  voyage.  In 
the  course  of  the  evening — the  medium  being  entranced — 
the  heart-rending  scene  was  graphically  represented ;  the 
general  consternation,  the  wild  tumult,  and  the  frantic 
prayers  to  God  for  deliverance,  excited  iutense  and  solemn 
emotions  in  all  who  were  present." 

The  case  stands  thus.  K  the  steamer  be  never  heard 
from,  such  a  prophecy,  if  truly  made,  can  prove  nothing 
beyond  a  lucky  hit ;  because  the  particulars  above  given 
can  not  be  verified,  and  might,  with  safety  to  the  original 
oracle,  be  multipied  two-fold. 

If  the  steamer  come  back,  our  Spiritualists  would  only 
have  to  say  that  some  mischievous  spirit  had  lied,  as  in 
the  case  of  Dr.  Kane  and  his  party,  which  only  proves 
that  there  are  lying  spirits,  but  can  not  militate  against 
the  facts  of  communication  with  the  good  spirits  of  our 
departed  friends ;  so  that  whether  the  Pacific  return  or 
not,  the  eyes  of  our  Spiritualists  are  blinded  by  the  old 
expedient  of  the  heathen  oracles. 

If  she  do  not  return,  the  particulars  may  be  multiplied 
to  any  extent ;  there  is  no  body  alive  to  contradict. 
Should  she  now  return  (of  which  there  is  left  no  proba- 
bility) we  should  be  reminded  by  the  Judge  that  there  is 
a  "  class  of  communications  which  are  intended  as  de- 
ceivirfg  and  to  mislead !"     {Spiritualism^  vol.  i.,  p.  456.) 

We  suppose  the  following  to  be  of  this  class. 

The  great  feat  at  prophecy,  in  the  above-named  case, 
it  seems  induced  the  medium  to  try  her  skill  again  ;  we 


MODERN  PEOPHECIES.  303 

beg    pardon,    induced    the    spirits    to    make    another 
attempt. 

The  Neio-Yorli  Times  of  April  18,  1856,  items  another 
prophecy : 

"  Mrs.  Porter,  a  spiritual  medium,  has  prophesied  that 
the  steamer  Ericsson,  which  left  this  port  nearly  four 
months  ago,  will  be  burned  to  the  water's  edge  before 
the  26th  of  the  present  month.    Drive  a  nail  there." 

The  nail  was  thus  drawn  by  the  following  paragraph  in 
the  same  paper  of  May  1 : 

"the  spirits  at  fault. 

"  Some  ten  days  since  it  was  announced  that  a  spiritual 
medium  had  proclaimed  that  the  steamship  Ericsson  would 
be  destroyed  by  fire  on  the  26th  of  the  present  month. 
But  the  Ericsson  arrived  yesterday  in  good  condition,  in 
fourteen  days  from  Liverpool." 

By  the  quotation  at  the  head  of  this  chapter  it  will  be 
seen  that  God  appeals  to  Prophecy  as  the  great  evidence 
demonstrative  of  his  word ;  and  Peter  shows  that  for 
this  purpose,  it  is  superior  to  the  evidence  derived 
from  Miracles.  2  Pet.  1  :  17-19.  After  referring  to 
the  transfiguration  of  Christ  which  he  had  seen,  and  to 
the  miraculous  voice  which  he  had  heard,  when  he  was 
with  him  in  the  mount,  he  immediately  adds :  "  We  have 
a  more  sure  word  of  prophecy."  That  which  makes 
prophecy  the  more  reliable  evidence,  is  the  fact,  that 
Satan  can  not  imitate  it,  as  he  can  do  in  the  case  of  mi- 
racles. The  original  of  the  words  "  power,"  "  signs,"  and 
"  wonders,"  applied  to  the  real  miracles  of  Christ  and  his 
Apostles  in  John  4  :  48,  Acts  2:19,  etc.,  are  .also  applied 
to  their  imitations^  in  Mat.  24  :  24,  and  2  Thess.  2  :  9. 
The  latter  are  not  miracles  in  the  true  sense  of  that  word. 


304  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

but  mere  wonders^  and  unaccountable  occurrences.  The 
former  are  so  stupendous  as  to  admit  of  no  fair  debate ; 
the  latter  is  of  an  order  so  low  as  to  admit  of  debate,  and 
yet  so  seductive  as  to  possess  great  power  of  deception, 
because  real  extraordinary  operations  in  nature,  which 
fall  within  the  competency  of  demoniac  power.  Hence 
our  Spiritualists  may  be  able  by  the  agency  in  question 
to  confound  the  minds  of  the  people  and  seduce  them  to 
the  belief  of  their  mischievous  doctrines ;  but  they  can  not 
manage  prophecy  in  this  way.  This  is  clear  from  the  at- 
tempts already  made.  And  the  distinction  here  proved 
from  the  Bible,  answering  to  the  facts  we  give,  abundant- 
ly estabhsh  our  point,  that  the  Bible  is  the  real  true  stand- 
ard by  which  we  are  to  test  the  claims  of  modern  Spirit- 
ualism. It  was  therefore  a  great  mistake  when  they 
ventured  upon  the  ground  exclusively  occupied  by  the 
Bible  to  prove  a  divine  origin. 

The  experience  of  the  world  has  led  men  to  accept  such 
miserably  bald  impostures,  as  the  plainest  proof  of  an  in- 
tention to  deceive.  Surely,  the  Jive  instances  just  given, 
ought  to  satisfy  such  as  have  been  taken  with  the  fascina- 
tion of  Spiritualism,  that  they  have  been  deluded.  Such 
evidently  plain  impostures  are  designed  to  sustain  systems 
of  essential  falsehood.  Reliance  is  placed  upon  the  for- 
getfulness  and  indifference  of  men,  who  are  too  busy  to 
look  after  the  fulfillment  of  these  predictions ;  and  thus 
they  escape  exposure.  Now,  when  such  things  occur, 
why  do  not  the  press  of  the  Spiritualists  expose  them  ? 
If  honest,  can  they  let  such  things  go  without  a  syllable  ? 

Such  glaring  inconsistencies  make  it  necessary,  that 
some  sort  of  an  apology  be  forthcoming,  to  prevent  raw 
recruits  from  taking  alarm  and  deserting  their  ranks. 
Hence  they  are  told  that : 


A   RIDICULOUS   CONTBAST.  SOS 

"  There  is  another  kind  of  foretelling  still,  that,  name- 
ly, which  involves  their  own  (spirits)  action.  For  instance, 
they  say  on  such  a  day  a  thing  will  happen.  By  this  they 
mean  that  on  that  day  they  will  do  that  thing.  Now, 
with  them  as  with  us,  a  thousand  things  may  happen  to 
prevent  their  accomplishing  their  purpose;  they  may 
change  their  minds  about  it ;  circumstances  may  occur  to 
render  it  inexpedient  or  unnecessary,  etc.  Shall  we, 
therefore,  withhold  all  credit  from  them  ?"  {/Spiritual- 
isniy  vol.  I.,  p.  455.) 

It  is  lamentable  to  think,  there  are  men  who  can  be 
easily  taken  by  such  detestable  sophistry  as  this,  from 
whose  common  sense  in  other  matters  we  might  expect 
better  things. 

Further  the  Miracles  of  the  ISTew  Testament  as  well  as 
the  fulfilled  predictions  of  the  Old,  entitle  the  Bible  to  be 
considered  the  best  test  to  which  modern  Spiritualism 
can  be  brought  for  trial. 

There  is  a  pamphlet  of  a  hundred  pages,  very  popular 
among  the  brotherhood,  entitled  "  ISTew  Testament  '  Mi- 
racles' and  Modern  Miracles,"  the  object  of  which  is  to 
bring  discredit  upon  the  former,  and  by  means  of  the  com- 
parisons drawn,  to  exalt  our  modern  communications  to 
the  dignity,  credibility,  and  importance,  of  the  word  of 
God. 

1 .  On  the  score  of  evidence.  In  the  beginning  of  this 
performance,  there  is  gravely  given  a  list  of  a  hundred  wit- 
nesses in  favor  of  modern  miracles,  pitted  against  the  hy- 
pothetical authority  of  the  Evangelists  and  Peter  and  Paul, 
respecting  whom  we  have  no  certain  information !  To 
this  we  have  a  very  plain  reply.  Our  New  Testament 
has  stood  the  scrutiny  of  eighteen  centuries,  and  its  inter- 
nal evidence  is  a  munition  of  rock,  upon  which  all  its  pre- 
vious enemies  have  never  been  able  to  make  an  impres- 
sion, notwithstanding  more  talent,  wit,  and  power  were 


306  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

at  their  command  than  a  million  of  such  witnesses  can 
boast  of,  as  are  presented  for  the  support  of  our  modern 
miracles ;  for  we  have  convicted  some  of  the  best  of 
them,  out  of  their  own  mouth,  of  the  most  preposterous 
nonsense. 

2.  As  to  the  miracles  of  the  New  Testament,  which  in- 
finitely transcend  in  dignity  all  our  modern  wonders,  the 
author  of  this  pamphlet,  like  his  compeers,  affects  to  de- 
ride them.  But  it  is  quite  too  late  to  resort  to  the  ex- 
ploded arguments  of  adversaries,  long  since  employed  to 
no  purpose.  These  "  modem  miracles"  are  performed  by 
spii'its,  some  of  whom  confessedly  are  lying  spirits ;  and 
their  performances  by  the  name  of  "  lying  wonders,"  are 
expressly  spoken  of  in  the  New  Testament  as  a  method 
of  deception  in  the  latter  days,  resorted  to  for  the  con- 
firmation of  error.  The  false  doctrine  of  the  "  new  re- 
ligion" for  the  estabhshment  of  which  they  are  wrought, 
demonstrates  the  character  both  of  the  miracles  and  of 
their  authors.  Moreover  they  are  such  as  are  confessedly 
performed  by  demons,  are  of  the  same  character  as  those 
which  prevailed  throughout  the  mythologies  of  the 
heathen  world,  and  are  such  as  evil  demons  can  do,  and 
would  be  most  likely  to  do  for  the  execution  of  their  evil 
purposes. 

There  is  a  parallel  run  in  this  book  between  the  Mi- 
racles of  the  New  Testament  and  those  of  the  Spiritualists 
which  exhibit  at  least  a  prodigious  lack  of  mother-wit. 
Here  is  an  example. 

Acts.  16  :  26.  "  And  suddenly  there  was  a  great  earth- 
quake, so  that  the  foundations  of  the  prison  were  shaken ; 
and  immediately  all  the  doors  were  opened,  and  every 
one's  bands  were  loosed." 

The  Parallel. 

On  pages  38,  39  we  find  the  following  given  to  offset  the 
occm'rences  at  Philippi : 


DEMON-MIEACLES.  307 

"  The  circle  met  at  8  o'clock  in  the  evening,  at  B.  S. 
Benson's  house,  five  ladies  and  four  gentlemen  being  pre- 
sent. The  circle  was  formed,  the  lights  were  removed, 
and,  after  singing,  Miss  L.,  Miss  H.,  Mrs.  A.  P.  P.,  me- 
diums present,  were  perceived  to  be  in  the  interior  state, 
by  their  description  of  things,  then  tr-anspiring  in  the 
room.  It  was  said :  '  There  is  Franklin ;  there  are  three 
others  with  him;  they  have  boxesunder  their  arms;  they 
place  them  under  the  table ;  they  are  going  to  make 
raps ;  they  say  something  is  wrong ;  they  have  gone  over 
in  the  corner  of  the  room,  and  are  talking  together  and 
pointing  to  the  table ;  they  now  bring  two  more  boxes  ; 
they  say  they  are  going  to  break  the  table.'  The  raps, 
or  rather  pounding,  commenced,  and  were  as  if  made  by 
a  muffled  maul,  of  many  pounds'  weight,  suspended  under 
the  table,  at  first  striking  so  lightly  as  not  to  raise  the 
table,  but  increasing  by  degrees,  until  the  table  was  raised 
from  the  floor  some  ten  or  twelve  inches,  all  four  legs  of 
the  table  being  off"  the  floor  at  once.  The  table  was  heard 
to  drop,  as  if  it  had  fallen  some  distance,  with  a  tremen- 
dous crash.  There  were  no  material  means  used  to  pro- 
duce the  raps,  nor  did  there  exist  a  possibility  of  deception, 
there  being  no  one  in  the  room  but  those  joined  in  the 
circle,  hand  in  hand,  around  the  table,  not  one  of  whom 
touched  the  table  at  the  time.  The  table  was  at  one 
time  thrown  on  the  lap  of  a  lady  present,  and  thrown  off 
by  the  same  unseen  power.  All  present  at  times  saw 
lights  in  different  directions  around  the  room,  as  well  as 
over  the  table.  After  some  tremendous  poundings,  which 
made  some  of  those  present  fear  they  would  be  struck 
with  pieces  of  the  table,  it  was  then  spoken  by  one  of  the 
mediums,  '  Nothing  more  to  night.' 

"  Yours,  truly,  B.  S.  Benson, 

W.  W.  Laning." 

The  New  Testament  miracle,  it  will  be  observed,  was 
an  earthquake  by  which  the  servants  of  God  were  freed 
from  a  prison,  into  which  they  had  been  thrown  for  liber- 
ating a  travelling  medium  from  the  possession  of  a  "spirit 
of  divination,"  for  whose  worthless  "  communications"  her 


308  A   THKEE-FOLD   TEST. 

masters  made  exorbitant  charges ;  just  as  is  done  at  the 
present  day  among  our  modern  Spiritualists.  By  means  of 
it,  the  jailer  and  his  family  were  brought  to  seek  the  know 
ledge  of  the  way  of  salvation,  and  were  converted  from 
heathenish  notions  to  the  religion  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ ;  which  is  exactly  the  reverse  of  the  effect  of  our 
modern  wonders ;  namely,  to  seduce  men  from  the  doctrine 
of  salvation  by  faith  in  Christ,  to  heathenish  notions ;  as 
we  have  proved  their  doctrines  to  be. 

The  Parallel  was  no  earthquake  ;  but  certain  mysterious 
poundings,  until  the  table  was  raised  from  the  floor  some 
ten  or  twelve  inches,  no  one  touching  it,  all  four  of  its 
legs  being  off  the  floor  at  once  ;  which  wonderful  pheno- 
mena was  clearly  seen  in  the  dark.  The  object  of  this 
was — what  Avas  it  ?  An  exhibition  of  such  power,  as  a 
devil  not  cast  out,  possesses !  This  is  a  fair  sample  of  the 
*'  modern  miracles."     The  contrast  is  simply  ridiculous. 

God  never  did  any  thing  for  the  communication  or  con- 
firmation of  truth  to  mortals,  but  the  devil  tried  to  imi- 
tate it. 

"  Ah  !  indeed !"  our  Spiritualists  will  exclaim ;  "  to 
whom,  then,  will  you  attribute  the  cures  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament ?     Consider  the  foUowimr  : 


"  '  At  a  circle  held  at  Adrian,  the  first  Saturday  in  July, 
the  spirits  wrote  :  "  Seek  the  lame,  the  halt,  and  the  in- 
firm, and  they  shall  be  healed."  I  then  remarked  to  J. 
M.  Reynolds :  "  It  can  not  be  done  ;  if  that  is  read,  away 
go  the  spirits  and  the  cause  together,  for  some  one  will 
be  presented  and  not  cured."  Nevertheless  the  call  was 
read  by  my  colleague,  when  Mr.  Lyons  presented  him- 
self, stating  that  his  leg  had  been  drawn  up  by  rheuma- 
tism four  years.,  and  was  under  acute  pain  at  the  time. 
Without  the  exercise  of  my  own  volition,  I  was  thrown 
into  the  spiritual  state,  and  placed  before  him.  I  was  also 
made  to  speak  by  the  power  of  the  spirit.    *    *    *    * 


DEMON-MIBACLES.  309 

I  put  my  hand  on  him  and  he  was  made  whole.  He 
dropped  his  cane  and  went  away  rejoicing.,  fleet  as  a  boy 
of  sixteen.*^ "  (Heview  of  Beecher, -p.  QQ.) 

This  is  a  case,  dear  spiritualistic  friends,  where  the 
demon  simply  undid  his  own  work;  for  if  it  be  true,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  "  woman  which  had  a  spirit  of  infirm- 
ity eighteen  years,  and  was  bound  together,  and  could  in 
no  wise  lift  up  herself,"  what  our  Saviour  declared  to  be 
the  fact,  that  Satan  had  done  this,  (Luke  13  :  11-16,)  it 
is  no  hard  matter  for  him  to  draw  up  a  man's  leg  for  four 
years  by  a  rheumatic  affection,  in  order  that  a  demon, 
through  a  medium,  should  cure  it  by  animal  magnetic 
agency,  for  a  devilish  purpose. 

We  are  significantly  told  that  the  man  upon  whom  this 
miracle  was  performed  was  ''  seventy-four  years  old." 
We  suppose  there  is  a  designed  hint  here  that  this  per- 
formance was  somewhat  like  the  cure  of  the  man  at  the 
beautiful  gate  of  the  temple,  who  was  but  forty  years  old. 
There  was,  however,  this  small  difference:  the  Jewish 
subject  had  heevx  lame  from  his  birth,  and  was  restored  in 
the  name  and  by  the  power  of  Christ,  and  not  by  the 
agency  of  demons. 

Moreover,  it  is  no  new  thing  for  demons  to  perform 
small  cures,  and  prescribe  for  the  sick.  In  this  way  of 
old  they  used  to  get  great  credit  for  themselves,  and  they 
now  play  the  same  game  with  our  confiding  Spiritualists ! 

It  will  be  seen,  from  the  following  quotation,  that  such 
things  were  common  in  the  early  ages  of  the  Church. 
The  extract  is  from  TertuUian,  by  an  author  on  Spiritual- 
ism, to  prove  the  fact  of  "  spirit  intercourse."  It  will  as 
well,  and  a  little  better,  serve  our  purpose  to  prove  the 
identity  between  the  agency  that  Tertullian  denounces 
and  defies,  and  the  Spiritualism  of  the  present  day. 

"  *  We  are  informed  that  Mr.  Lyons  was  seventy -four  years  old." 


310  A  THEEB-FOLD  TEST. 

Thus  Mr.  Alfred  Cridge  informs  us,  in  relation  to  the 
heathen  gods  who  were  demons  : 

"  Between  these  spirits  and  their  mediums  on  the  one 
hand,  and  the  Christian  prophets  on  the  other,  there 
was  generally  an  open  hostility  ;  but  wherever  a  trial  of 
powers  occurred,  the  heathen  spirit  was  forced  to  give 
way,  showing  the  existence  still  in  the  Church  of  that 
power  conferred  by  Jesus  upon  his  disciples,  to  '  cast  out 
devils.'  Hence  we  find  Tertullian,  in  his  *  Apology  for 
the  Christian  Religion,'  boldly  challenging  all  heathendom 
to  a  trial  of  the  powers  of  their  patron  spirits  and  divini- 
ties, who  were  accustomed  to  possess  and  speak  through 
the  bodies  of  certain  men.  *  Hitherto,'  says  he,  '  we  have 
used  words ;  we  will  now  come  to  a  demonstration  of  the 
very  thing,  that  your  Gentile  gods  are  no  one  of  them 
greater  than  another.  For  a  decision  of  the  point,  let 
any  one  that  is  judged  to  be  possessed  by  a  devil  be 
brought  into  open  court  before  your  tribunals ;  when  that 
spirit  shall  be  commanded  by  a  Christian  to  speak,  he 
shall  as  truly  confess  himself  a  devil  there  as  elsewhere  he 
falsely  claims  to  be  a  god.  Or  let  one  equally  be  produced 
who  is  among  you  Gentiles  judged  to  be  inspired  of  God^ 
who  waits  at  your  altars,  and  is  esteemed  a  sacred  person 
by  you ;  nay,  though  he  be  acted  by  one  of  your  most 
venerated  deities,  be  it  Diana,  the  heavenly  virgin,  or 
JEsculapius^  that  prescribes  your  medicines^  and  who  pre- 
tends to  relieve  the  dying^  yet  these  or  any  others,  when 
they  are  summoned,  if  they  dare  to  lie  unto  the  Christian 
sunnmoning,  and  if  they  do  not  confess  thewselves  openly 
to  he  devils^  then  let  that  reproachful  Christian's  blood  be 
si^ilt  by  you  on  the  spot.'  "   {Epit.  Spir.  Int.^  pp.  34,  35.) 

We  thank  our  author  for  this  quotation,  from  Tertullian. 
It  is  powerfully  plump  against  his  own  cause,  and  knocks 
the  brains  out  of  the  best  argument  Spiritualists  have  to 
offer  upon  the  question,  "  Cui  Bono  ?"  It  moreover 
proves  our  previous  reasoning  correct,  that  Satan  can 
afford  to  heal  the  body,  provided  he  may  thus  seduce  the 
soul. 


IDENTITY   OF  THE   OLD   AND   THE  NEW.  311 

In  our  judgment  we  have  said  enough  to  prove,  to 
reasonable  men,  that  on  the  simple  score  of  superiority  in 
the  matters  of  prophecy  and  miracle,  the  Bible  is  entitled 
to  be  considered  the  best  test  of  the  high  pretensions  we 
are  now  considering.  And  when  we  add  to  this,  its 
inspiration^  its  antiquity^  and  its  triumphs^  we  have  pro- 
duced reasons  enough  to  warrant  the  divine  direction : 
"  To  the  law  and  the  testimony,  if  they  speak  not  accord- 
ing to  these,  it  is  because  there  is  no  truth  in  them." 

In  our  estimation  of  the  Bible  as  the  best  test  in  this 
matter,  we  shall  be  upheld  by  an  inquiry  as  to  the  true 
origin  of  heathen  oracles,  and  other  expedients  for  inter- 
rogating the  dead.  As  these  are  claimed  to  be  the  same 
in  land  and  intention  with  the  developments  of  spirit  pow- 
er in  our  day,  the  decisions  of  the  Bible  upon  the  ancient 
must  include  the  modern  phenomena.    Dr.  Dexter  says : 

"  We  find  that  a  connection  with  spiritual  sources  of 
power  and  intelligence  was  claimed  by  the  Gymnosophists 
of  India,  the  Magi  of  Persia,  the  wise  men  of  Egypt,  the 
prophets  and  diviners  of  Greece  and  Rome,  the  Druidical 
priests  and  bards  of  ancient  Gaul  and  Britain,  the  Scalds 
of  Scandinavia,  etc.  "We  find  such  a  connection  evinced 
in  the  true  prophetic  dreams  and  visions  of  Mandane,  of 
Cyrus  the  Great,  of  Cambyses,  of  Darius,  and  others  of 
the  ancient  Median  and  Persian  kings  and  nobles.  We 
find  it  proved  by  the  utterances  of  the  oracles  of  Butos, 
of  Jupiter  Ammon,  of  Colophon,  of  Dodona,  of  Trophoni- 
ous,  and  by  the  sublime  prophetic  and  didactic  utterances 
of  the  Delphic  Pythia,  which,  as  the  dictates  of  the  god 
Apollo,  were  for  ages  implicitly  followed  by  kings,  armies, 
and  nations.  Spiritualism,  indeed,  forms  a  fundamental 
feature  of  all  ancient  historical  and  poetic  Hterature,  and 
the  spiritual  element  of  this  could  not  be  taken  away 
without  essentially  marring  the  structure  and  consistency 
of  the  whole."  {Spiritvalism^  vol.  i.,  p.  58.) 

Mr.  Nevin  says : 


312  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

"  The  laws  of  spiritual  intercourse,  as  evolved  in  these 
modern  phenomena,  explain  scientifically  and  positively 
all  the  mythology,  symbolism,  idealism,  transcendental- 
ism, mysticism,  and  spiritualism  of  the  ages.  The  spirit- 
ual history  of  this  planet  is  yet  to  be  written,  and  the  key 
to  its  most  perfect  illustration  will  be  found  in  the  spirit- 
ual phenomena  of  the  present  day."  {Spir.  Devel.,  p.  3.) 

We  thus  are  instructed  to  beUeve  that  all  the  wonders 
of  heathendom  are  to  be  explained  by  the  Spiritualism  of 
the  present  time,  and  whatever  the  Bible  says  with  re- 
spect to  the  former,  we  repeat  must  be  applied  to  the 
latter,  which  is  but  the  milk  of  the  old  cocoa-nut. 

Now  if  we  show,  that  ancient  heathenish  wonders  were 
mischievous  imitations  of  the  agencies  ordained  of  God 
among  the  Israelites,  for  the  discovery  of  his  will  to  his 
own  people,  for  their  direction  in  consulting  him  as  Theo- 
crat  of  the  nation,  and  as  God  of  the  Church,  and  for  the 
process  by  which  the  various  parts  of  divine  revelation 
should  be  gathered  for  the  use  of  man  in  all  subsequent 
ages,  of  course  their  condemnation  is  implied ;  dnd  the 
declarations  made  respecting  them  can  be  no  other  than 
denunciatory;  because  such  imitations  must  have  been 
made  by  devilish  agency,  for  the  perversion  of  truth  and 
for  the  deception  of  men. 

We  are  told  that  "  God,  who  at  sundry  times  and  in 
divers  Tnanners^  spake  in  time  past  unto  the  fathers  by 
the  prophets,  hath,  in  these  last  days,  spoken  to  us  by  his 
Son."  (Heb.  1:1.) 

There  was  progression  in  the  delivery  of  divine  revela- 
tion. There  was  at  first,  naked  spirit  intercourse,  and  then 
various  media  that  formed  the  "  divers  manners"  alluded 
to,  and  which  were  confined  to  the  earlier  ages.  But  in 
the  beginning  of  the  last  days,  the  highest  revelation  was 
given  by  God's  own  Son  ;  and  it  was  not  fitting,  that  in 
this  matter  the  work  should  be  left  incomplete,  and  that 


THE   CHARACTER    OF   THE    OLD    SPIRITUALISM.         313 

progression  backwards  should  be  made  in  the  dignity  of 
the  media  employed  for  further  communication.  Hence 
the  last  and  the  sublimest  book  of  the  Bible  was  "  spoken 
unto  us"  from  "  his  Son  ;"  and  because  of  the  dignity  of 
the  Medium,  and  of  the  fullness  and  completeness  of  the 
I^ew  Testament,  it  is  said :  "  If  any  man  shall  add  unto 
these  things^  God  shall  add  unto  him  the  plagues  that  are 
written  in  this  book ;  and  if  any  man  shall  take  away 
from  the  words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy,  God  shall 
take  away  his  part  out  of  the  book  of  life."  Now  the 
EEVELATioJT  OF  Jesus  Christ  covcrs  all  time,  from  the 
date  of  the  beguming  of  the  Gospel  dispensation,  and 
therefore  to  the  things  spoken  of,  nothing  is  to  be  add- 
ed ;  but  these  things  are  precisely  what  our  Spiritualists 
seek  to  improve  by  their  addenda  and  their  subtrahenda ; 
therefore  the  curse  of  Jehovah,  pronounced  as  we  have 
quoted,  must  fall  upon  them,  if  the  Bible  be  true  ;  because 
their  revelations  being  the  old  imitations  revived,  are 
manifest  cheats,  imposed  first  upon  themselves  by  devilish 
agency,  and  then  upon  the  world. 

What,  then,  are  the  originals  of  these  ancient  imita- 
tions ?  Wh«  is  the  enemy  that  sowed  tares  among  the 
wheat  in  early  times,  to  corrupt  the  harvest  of  truth  that 
should  be  gathered  in  subsequent  ages  ? 

We  present  our  great  fact  in  the  outset,  that  the  exist- 
ence  of  a  heathen  oracle  can  not  he  shown  to  antedate  the 
death  of  Joseph  in  Egypt.  The  oldest  among  the 
Greeks  was  that  of  Dodona,  but  the  most  celebrated  was 
the  Delphic  oracle,  which  made  its  first  manifestations  by 
a  "  speaking  medium,"  and  sometimes  in  hexameter  verse^ 
somewhere  about  B.C.  1260.     Let  this  be  kept  in  mind. 

We  read  in  2  Sam.  16  :  23,  that  "  the  counsel  of  Ahith- 
ophel,  which  he  counselled  in  those  days,  was  as  if  a  man 
had  inquired  at  the  oracle  of  God."  The  original 
H 


314  JL   THREE-FOLD    TEST. 

here  means,  first,  a  word ;  second,  a  message  divinely 
sent,  (Numbers  23  :  5 ;)  third,  the  means  by  which 
that  word  or  communication  was  made  known ;  and 
fourth,  the  'place  where  it  was  uttered.  The  earliest  of 
these  means  was  "  the  Urim  and  Thummim,"  signifying, 
according  to  some,  Hghts  and  perfections,  and  according 
to  others,  doctrine  and  judgment.  By  these,  inquiries 
were  made,  and  oracular  responses  given  in  an  audible 
voice.  What  was  the  substance  or  shape  of  these  small 
media,  or  what  was  the  time  when  or  the  person  by 
whom  first  employed,  we  know  nothing  beyond  the  sim- 
ple fact  of  their  very  early  use.  In  Exodus  28  :  30  it 
is  said  :  "Thou  shalt  put  into  the  breast-plate  of  judg- 
ment THE  TJeim  and  the  Thummim."  See,  also,  Levit. 
8  :  8.  The  Hebrew  article  makes  it  clear  that  these 
things  were  so  familiar  that  they  needed  no  description. 
"  To  inquire  of  the  Lord"  was  the  phrase  used  to  desig- 
nate divine  consultation  by  Urim  and  Thummim.  Com- 
pare 1  Sam.  23  :  10  with  Numb.  27  :  21.  Moses,  who 
uses  this  phrase  in  historical  description  throughout 
the  Pentateuch,  uses  it  in  the  same  way  in  Gen.  25  :  22, 
She  went  to  inquire  of  the  Lord ;  and  we  have  the  orac- 
ular response  in  the  following  verse.  It  is,  therefore,  a  very 
high  probability  that  these  articles  were  known  to  the 
patriarchs  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  When  Joseph  was  sub- 
sequently elevated  to  the  viceroyalty  of  Egypt,  and  to  the 
presidency  of  their  college  of  priests,  "  to  teach  their  sen- 
ators wisdom,"  we  must  infer  that  he  taught  them  the 
way  of  worshipping  the  true  God,  and  the  method  of  ob- 
taining oracular  responses  from  him.  Hence  we  conclude 
that  the  Egyptian  image  of  Sapphire,  called  Truths  sus- 
pended from  the  neck  of  their  high-priest  by  a  golden 
chain,  whenever  he  attempted  to  pronounce  his  decisions, 
(  or  he  was  also  chief  judge  in  civil  affairs,)  was  an  imita- 
tion of  the  Urim  and  Thummim  of  the  patriarchs. 


THE  CHAEACTEB    OF  THE   OLD   SPIRITUALISM.         315 

At  a  later  period  of  Hebrew  history,  these  articles  in 
his  breast-plate  were  necessary  to  put  the  high-priest  into 
a  condition  to  receive  responses,  which  were  given  in  an 
AUDIBLE  VOICE  from  between  the  Cherubim.  Besides 
these,  the  Hebrews  had  other  means  of  obtaining  oracu- 
lar responses,  but  the  chief  oracle  was  the  Ephod  of  the 
high-priest.  This  continued  to  be  consulted  down  to  the 
end  of  the  Jewish  poHty.  Its  fame  was  well  known.  In 
imitation  of  these  means  of  gaining  responses  from  hea- 
ven, the  heathen  of  all  nations  set  up  various  oracles,  and 
invented  additional  facilities  for  learning,  from  the  spirits 
of  the  departed,  whatever  might  be  thought  of  importance 
for  them  to  know.  Intercourse  between  the  Hebrews  and 
other  nations  had  a  corrupting  tendency.  Prone  to  rebel- 
lion, they  were  easily  led  to  adopt  the  follies  and  yield  to 
the  delusions  which  were  the  base  imitations  of  their  own 
sublime  mysteries.  Therefore  they  were  prohibited  all 
intercourse  with  magicians,  soothsayers,  diviners,  wiz- 
ards, charmers,  astrologers,  necromancers,  and  sorcerers, 
upon  whose  practices  had  been  pronounced  the  curse  of 
Jehovah. 

"  Thou  shalt  not  suffer  a  loitch  to  live."  (Exod.  22  :  18.) 

"  The  soul  that  turneth  after  such  as  have  familiar  spi- 
rits, and  after  wizards,  to  go  a-whoring  after  them,  I  will 
even  set  my  face  against  that  soul,  and  will  cut  him  off 
from  among  his  people."  (Lev.  20  :  6.) 

"  A  man,  also,  or  woman,  that  hath  a  familiar  spirit, 
or  that  is  a  wizard,  shall  surely  be  put  to  death."  (Lev. 
20  :  27.) 

"  There  shall  not  be  found  among  you  any  one  that  mak- 
eth  his  son  or  his  daughter  to  pass  through  the  fire,  or  that 
useth  divination,  or  an  observer  of  times,  or  an  enchanter, 
or  a  witch,  or  a  charmer,  or  a  consulter  with  familiar  spirits, 
or  a  wizard,  or  a  necromancer.   For  all  that  do  these  things 


316  A  THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

are  an  abomiis^ation  unto  the  Lord  ;  and  because  of  these 
abominations,  the  Lord  thy  God  doth  drive  them  out 
from  before  thee."  (Deut.  18  :  10-12.) 

"Rebellion  is  as  the  sin  of  witchcraft."  (1  Sam.  15  :  23.) 

What  are  we  to  understand  by  these  terms  ? 

A  Witch  is  a  woman  who  practises  any  art  of  asking 
counsel  of  the  spirits  of  the  dead. 

A  Wizard  is  a  medium  for  maintaining  intercourse 
with  departed  spirits. 

A  Necromancer  is  a  revealer  of  secrets,  or  instructions 
from  the  spirits  of  the  dead. 

An  Enchanter  is  one  who  conjures  up  the  spirits  of  the 
dead  by  cantilations  and  mysterious  formulas, 

A  ConsuUer  with  familiar  spirits,  is  one  who  goes  for 
advice  to  any  one,  who  is  supposed  to  have  the  power  to 
call  up  spirits  at  will. 

The  main  idea  presented  in  these  and  kindred  appella- 
tives, is  that  of  intercourse  with  demons  and  departed 
spirits  for  the  purpose  of  learning  from  them  the  secrets 
of  the  other  world,  or  seeking  direction  from  them  in  any 
thing  of  interest  in  this. 

It  does  not  therefore  admit  of  debate,  whether  the 
practices  of  our  modern  media  are  pointed  out  by  the  use 
of  these  terms.  This  is  conceded.  There  is  now,  as 
heretofore,  a  variety  of  media ;  but  the  peculiarities  which 
make  the  differences  between  them  are  mere  accidents, 
extraneous  to  the  common  purpose  of  calling  up  the  spir- 
its of  departed  friends  for  converse  with  the  living. 

The  Bible  therefore  is  plainly  arrayed  against  the  whole 
of  this  business ;  and  every  one  that  confides  in  it,  is  called  an 
abomination  to  the  Lord.  Let  this  point  be  kept  in  view. 
All  media,  and  all  that  confide  with  them,  in  the  business 
of  consulting  the  dead,  are  an  abomination  to  the 
LoBD,  and  were  denounced  by  him,  as  worthy  of  the 
severest  penalties  for  this  wickedness. 


ANCIENT  MEDIA.  317 

The  Canaamtes  were  expelled  the  land  for  their  abomi- 
nations, that  had  been  accumulating  for  ages  by  means  of 
this  mischievous  intercourse.  A  large  number  of  texts 
might  be  cited  to  show  what  great  severity  was  used 
with  those  who  dared  to  give  currency  to  the  impostures 
of  Satan,  by  imitating  the  means  of  God  for  the  commu- 
nication of  his  will.  All  these  persons  pretended  to  have 
intercourse  with  the  dead^  to  receive  by  their  manipula- 
tions, responses  from  the  dead,  and  to  convey  to  the  in- 
quirer, communications  from  his  friends  in  the  spirit 
world.  "  Thus,  when  Aurelius  inquired  of  Apollo  in  re- 
gard to  the  soul  of  Plotinus,  the  god  gave  response  in  a 
poem  of  nearly  a  hundred  hexameters  in  his  praise,  setting 
forth  that  he  was  with  Plato  and  Pythagoras  and  holy 
demons."     (Apocatastasis,  p.  139.) 

Connected  with  their  oracles,  magical  statues,  tripods, 
and  sacred  springs  and  groves,  there  were  manj  physical 
manifestations;  but  not  without  the  use  of  fascination,  en- 
chantment, incantation,  divmation,  magic,  etc.,  upon  the 
part  of  the  media,  many  of  whom  appear  to  have  been 
females.  "  There  is  not  a  women  here  (at  Colophon)  as 
at  Delphi,  but  a  priest  is  elected  from  certain  families, 
and  mostly  from  Miletus,  who  is  informed  only  of  the 
name  and  number  of  those  who  come  to  consult  the  Oracle, 
He  then  retires  into  the  cavern,  and  drinking  of  the  secret 
fountain,  though  ignorant  generally  of  letters  and  poetry, 
he  delivers  responses,  in  verse,  to  whatever  mental  ques- 
tions any  one  has  in  his  mind.^''  {Idem,  69.)  Here  is 
THE  VERY  TEST  now  rccommendcd  to  be  used  with  spir- 
its through  our  media. 

These  all  come  under  the  maledictions  of  God,  as  devil- 
ish arts  in  imitation  of  the  well-known  media,  originally 
instituted  by  him,  for  the  gradual  unfolding  of  his  Revela- 
tion as  we  have  it  in  the  Bible. 

These  texts  are  great  annoyances  to  our  Spiritualists, 


318  A  THBEE-FOLD  TEST. 

and  their  attempts  to  get  rid  of  them  are  lame  and  ludi- 
crous enough.  After  showing  that  ancient  spirit  commu- 
nion among  the  heathen  led  to  idolatry,  the  conclusion  is 
drawn  by  Mr.  Fishbough,  on  "  Familiar  Spirits,"  that  on 
this  account  alone  such  intercourse  was  prohibited.  We 
think  we  can  show,  that  the  same  tendency  now  exists. 
People  do  not  forget  the  "  big  image"  constructed  at  High 
Rock,  Lynn,  Mass. ;  and  we  might  cite  many  aspirations 
to  the  spirits^  in  the  books  of  our  friends,  which  looks  very 
much  Hke  the  idolatrous  worship  of  the  heathen ;  but  let 
that  pass. 

We  assert  that  the  main  cause  of  the  heavy  denuncia- 
tions of  the  Scriptures  against  all  who  by  any  means  pre- 
tended to  hold  intercourse  with  the  invisible  world,  was 
this :  they  were  devilish  imitations  of  the  means  God 
originally  instituted  for  the  expression  of  his  will,  and 
they  have  not  lost  their  character  in  the  hands  of  modem 
necromancers. 

Hence  the  irrelevancy  of  such  defense  as  the  following 
sets  up : 

"  We  can  now  perceive  clearly  why  habitual  dealings 
with  '  famihar  spirits'  were  divinely  prohibited  in  the 
Mosaic  law.  It  was  simply  because  those  spirits,  when 
consulted  in  those  days,  were  uniformly  consulted  as  petty 
divinities.  Had  the  Jews  been  permitted  they  would, 
undoubtedly,  have  remained  heathens. 

"But  were  the  Jews  prohibited  unqualifiedly  from 
holding  communications  with  spirits  ?  I  answer  emphatic- 
ally, no ;  and  will  proceed  to  prove  that  that  class  of  be- 
ings called  angels.,  with  whom  their  patriarchs  and  pro- 
phets frequently  held  interviews,  were  not  only  spirits,  (as 
they  are  acknowledged  to  have  been,)  but  even  human 
spirits.  But  we  have  room  for  only  a  brief  summary  of 
the  existing  proofs  of  this  point.  Thus  the  three  angels 
who  visited  Abraham,  while  dwelling  upon  the  plains  of 
Mamre,  were  expressly  called  'men.'     (Gen.  18  :  2.) 


A  LAME   DEFENSE.  310 

The  supermundane  intelligences,  who  visited  Lot  pre- 
vious to  the  destruction  of  Sodom,  were  called  both 
'  angels'  and  'men.'  (Gen.  19  :  1,  12.)  The  prophet  Ze- 
chariah  speaks  of  a  celestial  apparition  which  appeared 
'  among  the  myrtle  trees,'  and  which  he  expressly  calls 
both  a  '  man'  and  an  '  angel,'  (Zech.  1  :  8-1 1 ;  2  :  1-3  ;) 
and  the  prophet  Daniel  applies  the  same  cognomen  inter- 
changeably to  the  celestial  visitants  who  appeared  to  him 
on  several  occasions.  The  last  chapter  of  2  Maccabees 
contains  an  account  of  an  appearance  of  the  spirit  of  Je- 
remiah the  prophet  to  Onias  the  high-priest,  in  a  form 
and  office  belonging  only  to  angels;  and  much  in  the 
same  form  appeared  Moses  and  Elias  to  Jesus  at  the  time 
of  his  transfiguration.  But  what  is,  if  possible,  still  more 
conclusive  upon  the  point,  is  the  following :  after  St.  John 
had  seen  the  wonderful  visions,  and  heard  the  sayings, 
which  are  recorded  in  the  Apocalypse,  he  says  that  he  fell 
down  to  worship  before  the  feet  of  the  angel  who  showed 
him  these  things.  Then  said  the  angel :  '  See  thou  do  it 
not ;  for  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and  of  thy  beetheen 
THE  PEOPHETS,  and  of  them  which  keep  the  sayings  of 
this  book  :  worship  God.'  (Rev.  22  :  8,  9.)  If,  as  is  here 
distinctly  asserted,  this  angel  was  the  spirit  of  one  of  the 
old  prophets,  then  there  is  nothing  to  exclude  the  pre- 
sumption, favored  by  the  nature  of  things  as  well  as  by 
numerous  other  passages,  that  all  angels  are  in  like  man- 
ner but  the  ascended  and  purified  spirits  of  men,  which, 
as  the  term  '  angel'  implies,  are  sent  as  messengers  to  this 
world."     {Flshbough  on  Familiar  Spirits.) 

Appealing  both  to  sacred  and  profane  history,  one  of 
our  most  notable  mediums  and  authors  thus  writes  : 

"According  to  the  Biblical  history  of  the  Garden  of 
Eden,  and  the  coincident  heathen  traditions  of  a  golden 
age,  this  intercourse  was  enjoyed  by  the  first  human  be- 
ings that  dwelt  upon  the  earth.  Thence  it  is  traceable 
through  the  history  of  Cain  and  Abel,  of  Enoch,  of  Noah, 
of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  of  Joseph,  of  Moses,  of 
{*<amuel,  of  Saul,  of  David,  and  thence  through  the  long 
hae  of  the  Jewish  prophets,  seers,  priests,  and  other  in- 


320  A  TIIEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

teriorly  minded  persons  of  the  same  nation.  Nay,  its 
light  had  not  died  out  among  the  Jews  before,  and  in  the 
days  of  Jesus,  as  the  vision  of  Zacharias,  the  dreams  of 
Joseph,  the  angel-annunciation  to  the  shepherds  con- 
cerning the  birth  of  the  infant  Messiah,  etc,  fully  testify." 
{Spiritualism^  vol.  ii.,  pp.  57,  68.) 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  writers  in  defense  of  this 
movement,  though  denying  the  plenary  inspiration  of  the 
Bible,  and  often  denying  its  facts  and  doctrines,  yet  feel 
the  necessity  of  pressing  into  their  service,  for  proofs 
every  portion  of  its  text  that  may  answer  a  turn.  Unbe- 
lievers in  the  Bible  may  properly  use  it,  in  the  "argu- 
mentum  ad  hominem,"  against  their  opponents ;  but  then 
they  can  not  quote  it  in  proof  of  any  position  of  their  own. 
Thus  one  writer,  for  instance,  in  order  to  prove  a  point, 
says :  "  An  angel  took  his  position  at  the  entrance  of  the 
terrestrial  Paradise  with  '  a  flaming  sword  which  turned 
every  way  to  guard  the  tree  of  life.'  (Gen.  3  :  24  ;")  and 
in  proving  another  point,  holds  this  language:  "In  it 
(self-communion)  we  hear  '  the  voice  of  the  Lord  God,'  as 
did  the  fabled  Adam  in  the  cool  of  the  day."  {Divine 
lUiimination^  pp.  10,  67.)  If  the  author  believed  that 
Adam  was  a  fable,  surely  he  had  no  right  to  quote  from 
the  scene  in  the  Garden  of  Eden  in  proof  of  the  existence 
or  ministry  of  angels. 

Thus  too,  in  the  aforesaid  quotation  the  "  Biblical  his- 
tory of  the  Garden  of  Eden"  is  put  in  the  same  class  with 
"  coincident  heathen  tradition  of  a  golden  age."  We 
have  met  with  similar  instances  in  perusing  the  novel 
literature  of  Spiritualism,  and  feel  bound  to  take  exception 
to  this  simultaneous  use  and  abuse  of  the  same  authority 
as  utterly  inconsistent,  no  matter  what  may  be  the  felt 
necessity  of  extraneous  support. 

Dr.  Hare  says :  "  The  Bible  of  the  Spiritualists  is  the 
book  of  Nature ;   the  only  one  which  by  inward  or  out- 


AN   ASSUMPTION.  321 

ward  evidence  can  be  ascribed  to  divine  authority." 
{Letter  to  Episcopal  Clergy^  "There  are  some  parts  of 
the  Bible,"  says  the  spirit  '  Bacon,'  "  which  evidence 
the  profound  knowledge  which  the  spirits  that  dictated 
it  had  of  human  nature."  {Spiritualism^  vol.  ii.,  p.  229.) 
Its  authority  therefore  as  a  divine  directory  is  denied. 
But  if  its  facts  are  to  be  made  use  of  to  furnish  respect- 
ability to  the  facts  of  modern  spirit  manifestation,  it  must 
be  allowed  the  prerogative  of  stating  the  true  source  of 
those  facts,  and  its  statements  on  that  point  must  be  ad- 
mitted as  decisive. 

Spiritualists  aver,  that  all  these  facts,  ancient  biblical, 
and  modern  spiritual,  spring  from  one  and  the  same 
source,  namely  the  spirits  of  dead  men.  They  say, 
that  angels  are  none  other  than  the  souls  of  men  far  ad- 
vanced in  the  spheres ;  and  thus  all  communications  made 
to  mortals  from  the  other  world,  are  through  the  agency 
of  departed  spirits. 

But  the  Bible  must  decide  this  matter.  It  attributes 
its  phenomena  directly  to  God,  as  in  the  case  of  the  seers ; 
"  Thus  saith  Jehovah  :"  or  to  Angels,  who  appeared  fre- 
quently to  the  patriarch  in  assumed  bodies,  and  by  whose 
agency  special  interpositions  were  made.  In  no  case  are 
we  led  to  suppose  them  of  the  same  nature  with  human 
beings. 

ThQ  first  ma^i  was  driven  out  of  paradise,  and  an  angel 
was  placed  at  its  entrance.  Did  Moses  design  to  desig- 
nate by  the  latter,  one  of  a  different  order  from  that  of 
man,  or  did  he  mean  to  introduce  to  us  a  m.an  who  had 
become  exalted  in  the  spiritual  world  before  the  creation 
of  the  first  man  ?  David  says,  in  Psalm  8  :  "  What  is 
man^  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him,  or  the  son  of  man, 
that  thou  dost  visit  him  ?  for  thou  hast  made  him  a  lit- 
tle lower  than  the  angels."    The  Sadducees  are  said  by 

14* 


322  A   TUEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

Luke  not  to  believe  in  "  angel  ok  spirit."  Does  this  mark 
no  distinction  ?  Paul,  in  speaking  of  Christ,  says, 
(Heb.  1 :)  "  For  verily  he  took  not  on  him  the  nature  of 
ANGELS,"  (or,  he  taketh  not  hold  of  angels,)  "  but  he  took 
on  him  the  seed  of  Abraham^''''  (or,  of  the  seed  of  Abra- 
ham he  taketh  hold.)  Here  the  distinction  is  so  clearly 
made  that  we  can  not  suppose  angels  and  men  to  be  of 
the  same  nature  without  running  ourselves  into  the 
absurdity  of  deciding  what  was  the  ancient  belief  on  this 
subject  against  the  recorded  assertions  of  the  behevers 
themselves. 

To  meet  this,  a  quondam  Universalist  minister,  as 
above,  says :  "  But  what  is,  if  possible,  still  more  conclu- 
sive upon  the  point  is  the  following :  After  St.  John  had 
seen  the  wonderful  visions,  and  heard  the  sayings  which 
are  recorded  in  the  Apocalypse,  he  says  that  he  fell  down 
to  worship  before  the  feet  of  the  angel  who  showed  him 
these  things.  Then  said  the  angel :  '  See  thou  do  it  not ; 
for  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and  of  thy  bketheen,  the 
PROPHETS,  and  of  them  which  keep  the  sayings  of  this 
book ;  worship  God.'  (Rev.  22  :  8,  9.)  If,  as  is  here  dis- 
tinctly asserted,  this  angel  was  the  spirit  of  one  of  the  old 
prophets,  then  there  is  nothing  to  exclude  the  presump- 
tion, favored  by  the  nature  of  things,  as  well  as  by 
numerous  other  passages,  that  all  angels  are  in  Hke  man- 
ner but  the  ascended  and  purified  spirits  of  men,  which, 
as  the  term  *  angel '  implies,  are  sent  as  messengers  to  this 
world." 

Perhaps  it  is  a  pity  to  spill  any  man's  broth,  but  in 
this  instance  we  can  not  help  it.  The  writer  ought  to 
have  known  that  the  true  rendering  of  this  passage  is  as 
follows :  "  See  thou  do  it  not,  for  I  am  avvdovXog  gov, 
a  fellow-servant  with  thee,  and  with  the  prophets,  thy 
brethren,  and  with  those  who  keep  the  words  of  this 
booky    It  is  not,  therefore,  "  distinctly  asserted  that  this 


A    SHEER   FALLACY.  323 

angel  was  the  spirit  of  one  of  the  old  prophets ;"  but  the 
distinct  assertion  is,  that  he  was  not,  and  that  he  was  a 
fellow-worshipper  of  God.  Hence  the  greatest  proofs 
which  has  been  copied  and  recopied,  m  favor  of  the  iden- 
tity of  the  angelic  and  human  natures,  is  a  sheer  fallacy. 

It  is  clear,  then,  that  by  the  Bible  account  of  the  mat- 
ter, intercourse  between  this  world  and  the  next  was  not 
carried  on  by  the  instrumentality  of  departed  spirits. 
According  to  its  own  consistent  representations,  its  facts 
pertaining  to  this  intercourse  have  no  common  origin 
Avith  the  facts  of  modern  Spiritualism,  and  can  not  be 
used  in  an  argument  favoring  the  latter,  because  these 
last  facts  are  owing,  as  is  said,  to  the  spirits  of  dead  men. 
The  former  prove,  what  every  Christian  believes,  that 
there  is  now,  as  there  always  has  been,  intimate  commun- 
ion between  heaven  and  earth  carried  on  by  angels,  who 
are  "ministering  spirits,  sent  to  minister  to  them  that 
shall  be  the  heirs  of  salvation."  This  intercourse  is  of  a 
high  religious  character,  maintained  by  angels,  not 
through  physical  manifestations,  but  by  unseen  agency, 
exerted  for  the  providential  benefit  of  the  heirs  of  salva- 
tion; and  this  is  in  conformity  with  the  teachings  of 
the  entire  Scriptures. 

According  to  the  unanimous  testimony  of  writers  on 
Spiritualism,  the  visitors  with  whom  they  hold  intercourse 
are  to  be  subjected  to  the  severest  possible  ordeal,  be- 
cause many  of  them  are  gross  liars  and  deceivers^  per- 
sonating good  spirits^  and  deceiving  in  a  variety  of 
loays^  so  that  great  caution  is  required  in  every  case. 
One  thing  is,  therefore,  clearly  proved  by  the  modern 
manifestations,  that  we  are  endangered  through  them,,  by 
the  AGENCY  OP  EVIL  SPIRITS.  Therefore  the  facts  of 
Bible  spiritual  agency  can  not  be  claimed  as  gi^^g  coun- 
tenance to  our  modern  movement,  or  aifording  the  least 


324  A    THREE-FOLD    TEST. 

shred  to  it  of  a  "  garment  of  praise ;"  nor  can  the  Bible 
itself  be  made  to  turn  state's  evidence  against  its  friends. 

In  the  following  chapter,  we  will  demonstrate  that  the 
doctrines  of  the  spirits,  as  put  forth  through  various  me- 
dia, are  subversive  of  the  Bible,  conflicting  with  and  hos- 
tile to  the  whole  Christian  system,  and  therefore  should 
be  rejected  as  a  Satanic  device  to  delude  and  destroy. 
It  will  be  perfectly  apparent,  that  no  two  things  can  be 
more  directly  opposed  and  antagonistic  to  each  other, 
than  Christianity  and  Spiritualism.  If  one  is  received,  the 
other  must  be  rejected;  if  one  is  of  God,  the  other 
must  be  of  the  Devil ;  and  hence  the  mighty  consequences 
flowing  from  the  decision  of  every  man  upon  this  matter 
to  his  own  soul,  surround  our  investigation  with  no  ordi- 
nary interest  and  importance.  It  is  of  the  utmost  conse- 
quence that  the  whole  matter  be  spread  out  before  those 
who  are  debating  with  themselves  a  surrender  to  the 
spiritual  guidance  of  this  system.  !N"o  one  can  know  it 
until  they  have  at  least  become  acquainted  with  the  facts 
and  doctrines  deduced  from  its  unquestionable  authori- 
ties ;  and  having,  with  great  pains,  placed  these  before 
our  Spiritualist  readers,  we  say  to  them  what  the  pro- 
phet said  to  the  deluded  Israelites :  "  If  the  Lord  be  God, 
foUow  him ;  but  if  Baal,  then  follow  him." 

The  word  of  God,  therefore,  entirely  condemns,  in  all 
its  forms,  the  practice  of  necromancy^  as  daily  followed 
by  our  Spiritualists.  We  have  proved  its  superiority  as 
a  test,  and  as  Dagon  fell  before  the  ark,  and  was  broken 
to  Dieces,  so  must  demoniacal  Spiritualism  fall  by  the 
test  of  the  Holy  Bible. 


DOCl'KINES   DENIED.  325 


CHAPTER  Vm. 

"Do  men  gather  grapes  of  thoras,  or  figs  of  thistles?" — ^JiIatt.  7 :  16. 

THE    DOCTRINES   OF   SPIKITUALISM  SUBVEESIVE   OF   CHRIST- 
IANITY,   AND   HEATHENISH. 

Third  Test  of  Spiritualism  continued — Doctrines  of  Demons — Doctrines 
denied — Doctrines  taught — A  Hash  of  Heathen  Mythologies — Another 
Gospel — Charon  and  the  Styx — The  Spirits  condemned  by  what  they 
Bay  and  do — A  Supposed  Plea  anticipated. 

We  shall  further  test  the  spirits  by  the  doctrines  they 
inculcate.  The  popular  belief  among  the  heathen,  from 
the  beginning,  has  been  that  demons  are  the  spirits  of  dead 
men  ;  all  Spiritualists  say  that  the  doctrines  they  believe 
and  teach  are  the  instructions  of  dead  men ;  therefore 
they  prove  that  their  new  religion  is  an  embodiment  of 
the  "  doctrines  of  demons ;"  and  hence  they  are  heathen, 
both  by  their  faith  and  their  rejection  of  the  doctrines  of 
the  Gospel. 

The  New  Testament  always  uses  the  word  demon  in  a 
had  sense,  conveying  the  idea  of  diabolical  influence. 
Paul  says :  "  Now  the  Spirit  speaketh  expressly,  that  in 
the  latter  times  8ome  shall  depart  from  the  faith^  giving 
heed  to  seducing  spirits  and  doctrines  of  demons^'' 
(devils,)  (1  Tim.  4:1.)  This  prediction,  uttered  nearly 
eighteen  himdred  years  ago,  is  now  clearly  fulfilled.    The 


326  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

boast  is  made,  that  a  great  number  have  left  the  Christian 
Church,  having  embraced  modern  Spiritualism.  We  have 
no  reason  to  question  the  fact,  and  so  long  as  tares  may 
be  rooted  up  without  disturbing  the  wheats  there  can  be 
nothing  to  lament,  though  much  to  regret.  That  many 
of  the  spirits  and  their  agents  are  seducers  is  admitted ; 
but  beyond  this,  we  have  proved  those  spirits  accepted  as 
the  most  reliable,  to  be  of  this  character.  The  numerous 
defections  of  nominal  Christians,  having  thus  been  se- 
duced into  a  behef  of  the  doctrines  of  demons,  furnish  an 
argument  from  Scriptural  prophecy  in  behalf  of  Christ- 
ianity, stronger  than  any  that  our  modern  antagonists 
can  boast  of.  This  is  the  second  instance  of  circumstan- 
tial proof  we  have  noticed  in  our  favor,  and  against 
them. 

The  "  doctrines  of  demons"  mean  those  proceeding 
from  demons,  and  not  the  old  system  of  demonology 
which  is  doctrines  concerning  demons,  and  of  course  are 
opposed  to  the  doctrines  of  Christianity.  That  such  make 
up  the  whole  system  of  belief  avowedly  inculcated  by  the 
demons  of  modern  Spiritualism,  we  shall  prove  by  the 
specific  negations  and  affirmations  of  their  amanuenses. 

These  demons,  through  their  media,  deny  : 

1.  The  plenary  inspiration  of  the  sacred  Scriptures. 

"  The  Bible  of  the  Spiritualists  is  the  book  of  Nature, 
the  only  one  which,  by  inward  or  outward  evidence,  can 
be  ascribed  to  divine  authority."  {Hare's  Letter.) 

"  I  affirm  that  the  Protestant  idea  of  an  infallible  JBible 
writer  is  the  firm  foundation  of  Popish  despotism.  (A.  J, 
Davis.) 

"  You  beheve  the  whole  Bible  to  be  the  word  of  God. 
I  do  not.  (J.  S.  Adams) 

"  I  have  thus  discussed  your  argument  in  support  of 
the  certain  truth  of  the  Bible,  and  have  shown  that  it  can 


DOCTRINES   DENIED.  327 

not  be  esteemed  such  a  truth  as  to  be  made  the  test  of 
truth."  (P.  M  JBla7id.) 

"  The  Bible  is  not^  in  all  respects,  a  perfect  revelation. 
On  the  contrary,  it  is  fraught  with  numerous  imper- 
fections." "  The  assumption  that  the  canonical  Scriptures 
all  emanated  '  from  the  spirit  of  God,'  in  any  other  way 
than  that  universal  sense  wherein  all  things  are  said  to 
proceed  from  him,  is  grossly  absurd  and  entirely  indefens- 
ible. {8.  B.  Brittan.) 

"  Somewhere  you  said-to-be-inspired  writers  say : 
'  When  I  would  do  good  evil  is  present  with  me.' " 
(Spirit  Bacon^  in  Spiritualism^  vol.  i.,  p.  191.) 

"  There  are  some  parts  of  the  Bible  which  evidence 
the  profound  knowledge  which  the  spirits  who  dictated 
it  had  of  human  nature.  One  passage,  in  particular,  is 
not  only  expressive,  but  it  comes  to  the  very  doors  of  our 
hearts,  and  knocks  for  entrance.  I  refer  to  the  passage 
where  it  is  said,  *  Come,  now,  and  let  us  reason  together !'  " 
{Idem^  vol.  ii.,  p.  229.)  But  if  spirit  Bacon  had  completed 
his  quotation,  as  the  sentence  is  in  the  Bible,  he  would 
have  added,  "  saith  Jehovah,"  and  then  we  should  have 
had  the  profound  thought  without  obscurity,  and  the 
grand  assurance  beyond  doubt,  that  God  Almighty  has 
a  vast  knowledge  of  human  nature ! ! 

Surely,  my  Lord  Bacon  must  have  sadly  retrogressed^ 
to  have  been  guilty  of  such  a  quotation,  contrary  to  the 
fundamental  doctrine  of  "progression"  and  "develop- 
ment" ;  or  the  authors  of  "  Spiritualism,"  in  two  octavo 
volumes,  have  been  grossly  deceived.  Which  horn  gores 
the  worst  ? 

2.  They  deny  that  the  Scriptures  are  a  sufficient  rule 
of  faith  and  practice. 

"  The  fact,"  it  is  said,  "  the  fact  that  thousands  with  the 
Bible  in  their  hands  have  been  utterly  faithless,  and  have 


328  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

lived  and  died  without  hope,  proves  that  the  Bible  is  not 
equally  well  suited  to  the  demands  of  every  phase  of 
mind,  hence  that  it  is  not  perfectly  adapted  to  the  neces- 
sities of  every  man"  !  {S.  B.  Brittan.) 

Spiritualism  must  therefore  supply  the  deficiency,  be- 
cause "  some  men,  like  Thomas,  require  oracular  demon- 
stration" ! 

Dr.  Hare  says,  with  ill-concealed  malignity,  and  bald 
untruth :  "  Christ  has  no  better  reward  for  his  apostles 
than  visionary  temporal  judgeships,  which  neither  did  nor 
can  come  into  existence." 

He  further  says  that  the  precepts  of  the  Gospel  "  are  as 
utterly  impracticable  as  unwise  in  the  abstract,"  (p.  211 
Spiritualism  Demonstrated.) 

Who  can  read  the  following  without  exclaiming  upon 
the  gross  ignorance  and  hatred  that  simmers  to  the  sur- 
face of  such  bubbling  scum  ? 

"  Nothing  can  be  further  from  my  idea  of  a  happy  state 
than  the  benefaction  promised  to  them. 

"  The  query  and  reply  are  subjoined,  in  order  to  enable 
the  reader  to  judge  of  both  : 

"  ''Behold^  we  have  left  all  and  followed  thee  ;  what  shall 
we  have  therefor  P  (Misquoted.) 

"  The  Saviour  answered  the  above  inquiry,  when  made 
by  Peter,  as  follows  :  '  When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  sit 
in  the  throne  of  his  glory^  ye  shall  also  sit  upon  twelve 
thrones^  judging  the  twelve  tribes  of  IrsaeV 

"  Here  is  a  direct  answer,  by  Christ,  to  an  inquiry  re- 
specting the  nature  of  the  reward  which  his  disciples  were 
to  have  for  their  merits  as  his  faithful  devotees.  They  are 
to  be  made  severally  worldly  dignitaries ;  each  is  to  sit 
on  a  throne,  judging  a  tribe  of  Irsael.  That  is,  they  are 
to  have  worldly  preeminence,  accompanied,  of  course, 
by  all  the  vexations  attendant  on  such  stations,  as  well  as 
the  uncertainty  and  limitation  arising  from  liabiUty  to 
death  and  disease.  How  weak  and  worldly-minded  must 
his  disciples  have  been,  could  such  a  prospect  be  alluring 


DOCTRINES   DENIED.  329 

to  them  !  I  ask  for  any  sectarian  to  say,  in  candor,  whe- 
ther a  governorship  over  one  of  the  wealthiest  States,  the 
presidency,  or  any  sovereignty  in  Christendom,  would  be 
deemed  a  heaven,  in  comparison  with  that  eternity  of 
ineffable  happiness  enjoyed  by  the  immortal  spirits  of 
the  higher  spheres? 

"  There  is  an  immense  superiority  in  the  conceptions  of 
futurity,  given  by  my  immortal  advisers,  in  comparison  with 
those  attributed,  as  above,  to  Christ"  !  {Hare's  Letter.) 

Of  the  truth  of  this,  let  us  judge  from  the  fact,  that  they 
do  not  soar  above  the  beatific  "  visions"  of  the  Judge, 
the  glories  of  a  "  saw-mill,"  and  the  nectar  of  "  butter- 
milk" ! 

3.  They  not  only  deny  the  Trinity^  hut  the  Peesonali- 
TY  of  God. 

Thus  spirit  Bacon :  "  God  is  a  principle  and  also  an 
identity"  !  "  I  have  never  found  one  spirit  who  can  ex- 
plain what  the  principle,  God  is."  {Spiritualism^  vol.  ii., 
p.  238.)  Spirit  Pythagoras  asserts  the  same  pantheistic 
notion. 

4.  They  deny  not  only  the  "  fall  of  angels,"  but  their 
existence  as  a  distinct  order,  different  from  the  nature  of 
man. 

We  are  told  that  the  word  angel  is  usually  applied,  in 
Scripture,  to  a  being  delivered  from  the  fleshly  form — a 
spirit  once  a  man  on  earth — one  that  has  become  such  by 
having  passed  through  the  great  experience  called  death. 
{Div.  Illumi7iation,  p.  8.) 

"  Angels  are  the  spirits  of  departed  human  beings." 
{Spirit  Intercourse,  p.  18.) 

5.  They  deny  the  existence  and  fall  of  our  Jirst  parents 
in  Eden. 

Spirit  Swedenborg  says  :  "  That  there  was  a  first  man 
especially  and  particularly  created  to  occupy  the  garden 


^ 


330  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

of  Eden,  is  opposed  to  all  mybelief  of  what  the  character 
of  God  is."  {Spiritualism^  Yo\.  i.,  p.  126.) 

"  This  first  man  and  this  first  woman  are  but  a  fiction 
— an  allegory."  {Cel.  Tel,  vol.  i.,  p.  78.) 

6.  They  deny  the  doctrine  of  total  depravity.  This  is 
thus  acknowledged : 

"It  is  readily  granted  that  Spiritualism  rejects  the 
common  notion  respecting  a  '  fall  of  angels'  '  total  deprav- 
ity,' and  the  '  atonement.'  "  (JReview  of  Beecher  hy  Brit- 
tan,  p.  46.) 

7.  They  deny  the  miraculous  birth  of  Christ,  and  ridi- 
cule it,  and  blaspheme. 

Dr.  Hare  says :  "  The  intercourse  of  the  angel 
Gabriel  rests  upon  the  evidence  of  Mary  alone,  who  was 
interested  immensely  to  make  her  child  a  god,  instead  of 
being  her  o^vn  illegitimate  ofispring"!  !  (P.  217;  also, 
N'eio  Test.  Miracles  and  Mod.  Miracles  Comp.,  pp.  31, 
32  ;  Spiritualism,  vol.  i.,  pp.  209-212.) 

8.  They  deny  the  divinity  of  Christ.  (Numerous 
authorities.) 

9.  They  deny  the  sacrifice  and  atonement  of  Christ. 
(Numerous  authorities.) 

Dr.  Hare  says :  "  Nothing  can  be  more  inconsistent 
with  the  religion  inculcated  by  my  spirit  friends,  than  the 
idea  of  atonement  for  sin  by  faith  in  any  religion,  true  or 
false."  "  Since  my  sister's  translation  to  the  spheres,  she 
has  risen  from  the  fifth  to  the  sixth  sphere.  It  has  been 
alleged  by  her  that  her  ascent  was  retarded  by  her  belief 
in  the  atonement  ^^ ! !  (Pp.  214,  229.) 

10.  They  deny  the  official  relation  of  Christ,  as  the 
ONLY  Saviouk.     (Numerous  authorities.) 

11.  They  deny  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  available 
for  human  redemption.     (Numerous  authorities.) 

12.  They  deny  the  literal  resurrection  of  ChrisVs  body 
from  the  tomb. 


DOCTRINES   TAUGHT.  831 

13.  They  deny  the  second  'personal  coming  of  Christ. 

14.  They  deny  the  doctrine  of  original  sin.  {Spirit- 
icalism,  vol.  i.,  p.  215.) 

15.  They  deny  the  doctritie  of  the  general  resurrection. 
(Numerous  authorities.) 

16.  They  deny  the  existence  of  Hell,  the  Devil,  and 
his  angels.     (All  agree  in  this.) 

Such  are  the  items  of  their  negative  belief,  but  they 
do  not  exceed  the  enormities  of  \h.^vs:  positive  teachings, 
as  we  shall  see. 

1.  They  teach,  that  Reason  is  our  supreme  judge  and 
guide  in  religious  matters. 

To  the  judgment  of  reason  the  final  appeal  is  to  be 
made,  upon  the  real  character  and  the  entire  doc- 
trines of  the  spirits.  No  matter  what  they  teach,  if  we 
find  that  our  reason  does  not  assent,  we  are  to  reject  it. 
Hence  it  follows  that  the  revelations  of  the  progressed 
mind  are  to  be  tried  by  the  test  of  the  unprogressed 
mind !  and  the  Bible  of  course,  is  subjected  to  the  same 
ordeal. 

2.  They  teach  that  the  Bible  is  full  of  errors^  of  which 
it  is  the  mission  of  Spiritualism  to  purify  the  human 
mind!  {Spiritualism^  vol.  i.,  p.  224.) 

3.  They  teach  that  it  is  of  no  higher  authority  than 
the  modern  revelations  of  demons  or  the  souls  of  the 
dead. 

4.  They  teach  that  God  is  an  all-pervading  principle^ 
and  not  a  person. 

This  is  an  element  in  various  forms  of  Hindooism. 

5.  They  teach  Pantheism.  Thus — Spirit  Swedenborg 
teaches,  "  The  sun  that  you  behold  is  the  God  of  heaven 
and  earth ;"  "  Spirits  know  no  other,  and  God  has  never 
been  seen  in  any  other  form."  (  Celestial  Telegraphy  vol. 
i.,  p.  109.) 


332  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

If  this  be  so,  then  Heathen  are  right  in  worshipping 
the  sun ! 

"  The  idea  of  God's  personality,  has  descended  to  the 
present  time,  and  the  mass  still  worship  a  monstrous  hu- 
man potentate  instead  of  the  controlling  principle  of 
^N'ature."  "  The  Chinese  bowing  before  thek  idols,  the 
Hindoo  prostrating  himself  before  the  crushing  wheels  of 
Juggernaut,  the  fire-worshipper  venerating  the  rising 
king  of  day,  are  no  more  idolatrous  than  those  who  wor- 
ship a  personified  deity.  But  you  say — this  idea  of 
Deity  will  lead  to  Pantheism.  What  if  it  does  ?  Can 
there  be  no  truth  in  Pantheism  ?  I  care  not  from  whence 
truth  is  derived.  I  never  trouble  myself  as  to  the  origin 
of  an  idea.  If  reason  approves  it,  I  am  satisfied.  Pan- 
theism may  contain  some  correct  views.  Even  the  lowest 
depths  of  Atheism  rest  upon  some  truths." 

"  But  how  can  you  worship  a  principle,  or  a  code  of 
laws  ?" 

"  If  the  ancients  called  those  attributes  manifested  in 
Nature,  by  the  term  God,  and  we  now  recognize  in  what 
this  Deity  consists,  and  if  our  devotion  thus  cease,  it  is 

no  argument  against  our  conception." ^Pythagoras  also 

speaks  of  "  the  action  of  those  great  and  comprehensive 
principles  to  which  fathers  gave  the  name  '  Jehovah.' " 
"  There  is  no  distinction  between  Nature  and  God." 
"  There  should  be  no  conformity  except  to  Nature."  (Life 
ill  the  Spheres^  pp.  132-143.) 

If  the  reader  will  turn  back,  where  we  give  this  quota- 
tion more  fully,  he  will  see  this  is  Pantheism  out  and  out, 
in  its  worst  and  most  brutahzing  form.  This  quotation 
is  from  an  "  address  to  a  circle,"  by  the  Spirit  of  Pytha- 
GOBAS,  beginning  thus :  "  Twenty-five  centuries  have 
rolled  away  since  I  passed  from  the  rudimental  sphere." 
This  brave  old  Philosopher  has  therefore  progressed  very 


#. 


DOCTEINES  TAUGHT.  333 

far  in  the  spheres,  and  of  course  must  be  able  to  tell 
what  God  is.  The  work  containing  this  famous  "  address" 
is  published  by  Partridge  &  Brittan.  The  latter  in  his 
review  of  Mr.  Beecher,  denies  that  this  doctrine  is  taught 
by  Spiritualism ;  but  here  is  a  work  published  with  his  own 
name  on  the  title-page,  containing  it  in  all  its  deformity. 

"  Let  the  mind  go  back  to  that  period  when  the  Spirit 
of  the  First  Cause  sprang  forth,  self-created.  Imagine, 
that  standing  alone  amid  the  everlasting  space,  he  looks 
around  and  sees  nothing  existent  but  an  infinite  nothing, 
and  then  suppose  him  creating  from  his  own  body  the 
several  properties  that  constitute  matter^  and  from  another 
PRINCIPLE  developing  Spirit "  /  /  (Spiritualism,  vol.  ii., 
p.  238.) 

Here  is  the  beginning,  middle,  and  end  of  Pantheism, 
taught  by  Spirit  Bacon,  and  it  exactly  answers  to  the  same 
doctrine  in  Mindooism.  "  From  the  union  of  Brahm, 
which  contained  the  types  of  all  things,  with  Maya,  the 
principle  of  individualization,  resulted  the  whole  creation. 
But  the  universe  existed  at  first  in  two  original  produc- 
tions, which  were,  so  to  say,  the  two  great  germs  of  it ; 
these  were  Mahabhonta,  which  is  the  condensation  of  all 
souls,  all  the  subtile  elements,  and  Pradjapati,  which  is 
the  condensation  of  all  the  gross  elements."  {^j^it  Hist. 
Phil.,  vol.  i.,  p.  21,  published  by  the  Harpers.)  Thus  we 
have  proved  Pantheism  common  to  Modern  Spiritualism 
and  Hindooism. 

The  Eleatic  Pantheists,  in  the  Greek  school  of  phi- 
losophy taught  precisely  the  same  doctrine  of  spiritual 
and  material  emanations  from  the  principle  God,  which 
we  find  in  the  recent  publications  of  modern  Spiritualism. 
[Spiritualism,  vol.  ii.,  p.  314.) 

6.  They  teach  the  eternity  of  matter,  {Spiritualism, 
vol.  ii.,  237 — Life  in  the  Spheres,  pp.  105-107 — Celestial 


334  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

Telegraphy  vol.  i.,  p.  127 — Hare's  Vol.,  p.  213.)    This  is  a 
part  of  old  JEpicurianism. 
7.  They  teach  Materialism. 

"  What,  then,  do  the  believers  in,  or  the  Jcnowers  in, 
the  'mysterious' noises  mean  by  the  word  spirit P  Of 
course,  I  can  not  speak  for  all ;  but  I  venture  to  assert 
that  I  speak  the  sentiments  of  a  vast  majority/  when  I 
say  that  they  are  entirely  and  wholly  materialists  in  their 
ideas,  and  rationalistic  in  their  opinions.'*'' — {Modem 
Spiritualism  by  Capron,  p.  410.) 

%.  They  teach  that  the  soul  is  apart  of  God  himself! 

"How  have  they  (clergymen)  represented  the  God 
who  is  unapproachable  by  human  thought  ?  How  have 
they  described  man,  who  is  a  part  of  that  God  himself^''! 
{Spiritualism,  vol.  i.,  p.  226.) 

"  JJie  soul  is  a  God  of  itself''''  1 1  {Ibid.,  vol.  i.,  p.  10, 
177,  and  other  authorities.) 

This  is  going  a. little  beyond  Paganism.  We  do  not 
remember  to  have  seen  such  a  sentiment  so  flatly  laid 
down  by  the  old  Pagan  authors.  They  worshipped  their 
departed  ancestors,  but  we  do  not  see  why  our  Spiritual- 
ists should  not  fall  down  and  worship  one  another,  as 
profoundly  as  their  "  principle  God ;"  for  as  they  hold 
the  soul  to  be  a  part  of  God  ITSELF(!)  and  "  as  it  is  an 
emanation  from  the  God,  it  possesses  much  of  its  nature, 
and  it  is  only  its  admixture  with  matter  that  prevents  its 
manifesting  the  attributes  which  such  an  origin  has  con- 
ferred on  it,"  {Idem,  and  Celestial  Telegraph,  vol  i.,  p. 
-128,)  the  soul  differs  from  God  not  in  Mnd,  but  de- 
gree ! 

This  is  the  Eclectic  Spiritualism  of  the  Arabian  Philoso- 
phy.    {Epit.  Hist.  Phil.,  vol  i.,  p.  265-266.) 


DOCTRINES  TAUGHT.  835 

9.  Thoy  teach  that  sin  is  only  a  misfortune  resulting 
from  circumstances.  Thus  we  are  uiformed :  "  It  must  be 
conceded  that  the  prodigious  diversity  between  virtue  and 
vice,  is  the  consequence  of  contingencies,  which  are  no 
more  under  the  control  of  the  individual  affected,  than 
the  color  of  his  hair,  or  the  number  of  cubits  in  his 
stature  " ! !     {Hare's  Letter?) 

Pythagoras  says  to  a  self-accusing  spirit :  "  Blame  no 
one  for  their  follies,  but  blame  the  circumstaiices  in 
which  you  were  placed.  They  were  bad ;  popular  opinion, 
before  which  you  bent,  was  bad.  All  tended  to  make 
you  what  you  were."     {Life  in  the  Spheres^  p.  82.) 

"  The  vagabond  that  roams  your  streets,  the  circum- 
stances in  which  he  was  reared,  and  over  which  he  had 
no  control,  made  him  ignorant,  vicious,  and  criminal." 
{Idem^  p.  137;  also.  Spiritualism^  vol.  i.,  p.  122  ;  Hare'' s 
Vol.,  pp.  148,  241.) 

10.  They  teach  that  human  merits  purchase  heaven, 
(Numerous  authorities.) 

11.  They  teach  that  the  doctrine  of  immortality  is 
more  effectually  taught  hy  Spiritualism  than  by  the  Bible. 
{Spiritualism,  vol.  ii.,  p.  60,  and  other  authors.) 

The  following  falsehood  is  itahcised  by  Prof.  Hare : 
"  The  Old  Testament  does  not  impart  a  hnowledge  of 
immortality,  without  which  religio7i  were  worthless.  The 
notions  derived  from  the  Gospel  are  vague,  disgusting, 
inaccurate,  and  difficult  to  believe''^  I !  !  {Harems  Vol.,  p. 
209.) 

12.  They  teach  that  Christ  is  a  mere  man,  not  only, 
but  degrade  him  to  the  contemptible  level  of  their  own 
Media ! 

13.  They  teach  that  the  prevention  of  sin  was  not 
within  the  ordinary  control  of  God  ! 

Prof.  Hare  says :  "  Evil  exists  not  through  design,  but 


336  A  THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

in  consequence  of  circumstances  which  He  (God)  can  not 
control  or  cure,  unless  through  the  operation  of  general 
principles."     (P.  141.) 

"  Instead  of  assuming,  with  orthodoxy,  that  our  hea^ 
venly  Father  is  quite  omnipotent,  spirits  hold  that  his 
powers  are  only  such  as  this  magnificent  and  almost 
infinite  universe  involves ;  consequently  there  is  no  ne- 
cessity on  their  part  to  admit  that  every  thing  must  be 
exactly  as  God  wishes  it  to  be !"  (P.  403.) 

14.  They  teach  the  preexistence  of  souls. 

"  Before  appearing  on  earth  man  lived  in  a  spiritual 
world  similar  to  the  one  in  which  he  lives  on  quitting  the 
earth.  Each  awaits  his  turn  in  this  world,  to  appear  on 
earth,  an  appearance  necessary ;  a  life  of  trial,  none  can 
escape  it."     {Gel  Tel,  vol.  i.,  pp.  111-113.) 

15.  They  teach  and  practise  Necromancy  and  Witch- 
craft. 

"ISTow,  all  the  magic,  the  mysteries,  the  witchcraft, 
the  necromancy  of  the  ancient  world,  from  the  time  of 
the  Delphic  Oracle,  are  explained  by  these  modern  in- 
vestigations ;  and  all  popular  delusions,  however  exagger- 
ated, are  now  shown  to  have  truth  for  their  basis."  (Tall- 
raadge^s  Letter  to  Simmons) 

We  are  informed  that  "  the  woman  of  Endor,  so  much 
vituperated  by  theological  blackguards  (!)  was  evidently 
truthful,  kind-hearted,  and  forgiving." 

She  belonged  to  the  "  higher  class  of  mediums  in  Saul's 
time."     {Spirit.  Int.,  p.  15.) 

"The  practice  of  Necromancy  is  admitted  and  justi- 
fied."    {Div.  Ilium.,  p.  39.) 

16.  They  teach  that  future  rewards  are  Mohammedan 
paradises,  and  future  punishment  is  simply  restraint  and 
shame.  {Edmonds's  Visions.  Hare,  11^,  122, 1^1.  C^^ 
Tel,  vol.  i.,  p.  65.) 


0 


DOCTEINES   TAUGHT.  337 

11.  l^liQj  tQ^Qh.  the  doctrine  of  Purgatory. 

"  There  are  different  places  where  suffering  exists,  not 
as  it  is  presented  to  ns ;  they  are  places  of  trial,  wherein 
you  are  purified,  without  suffering,  except  that  of  being 
deprived  of  the  sight  of  God.  As  I  have  told  you,  God 
is  so  good,  he  has  so  great  love  for  us  that  he  punishes  us 
'merely  by  a  reprimand ;  but  this  punishment  is  very  sen- 
sitive, seeing  that  it  is  inflicted  before  all  in  heaven,  then 
it  would  be  an  impossibihty  for  us  to  do  evil,  since  the 
bad  thoughts  which  engender  it  are  of  the  domain  of  the 
earth,  which  is  the  real  hell,  and  rest  buried  there  with 
our  mortal  remains."     {Cel.  Tel.^  vol.  i.,  p.  10.) 

"  '  There  is  no  such  hell  as  is  depicted  on  earth ;  there 
are  places  of  purification,  which  are  termed  places  of 
punishment,  because  one  is  there  deprived  of  the  sight  of 
God  and  his  divine  light ;  hut  those  loho  are  there  are 
happy.'' — 'And  all  great  criminals^  where  are  they  ?'  '  In 
similar  places,  assembled  in  society;  but,  as  God  is  so 
good,  he  provides  for  all,  prevents  evil,  and  reestablishes 
good  in  the  hearts  of  all.'"     {Cel.  Tel.^  vol  i.,  p.  56.) 

Here  is  proffered  the  largest  bounty  for  crime !  Ho  ! 
all  ye  pests  of  society,  ye  who  delight  in  scenes  of  rioting, 
and  drunkenness,  and  all  manner  of  vice  and  villainy,  ye 
who  oppress  and  revel  in  human  suffering,  ye  who  make 
the  largest,  longest,  and  boldest  experiments  in  wicked- 
ness, ye  whose  life  is  pestilence,  whose  career  is  a  curse 
upon  society,  ye  haberdashers  in  the  service  of  sin,  ye 
votaries  of  iniquity  "  dyed  in  the  wool,"  ye  dealers  in 
blood  and  human  grief,  rejoice,  for  great  is  your  reward 
in  purgatory  and  heaven ! 

18.  They  teach  Universal  salvation.  (Numerous  au- 
thorities.) 

19.  They  teach  that  all  religioris  are  equally  acceptable 
to  God. 

"  '•  Are  all  religions  agreeable  to  God  ?'     '  Yes,  when 
they  are   founded  on  these  two  principles.' — 'But  the 
15 


338  A    THREE-FOLD    TEST. 

I^ractices  of  these  religions,  are  they  approved  by  liim  ?' 
'  Yes,  when  they  aim  at  the  object  I  have  just  defined.' — 
'•  Still,  human  reason  is  less  repugnant  to  accepting  the 
ofterings  or  sacrifices  made  to  God  in  certain  mild  re- 
ligions than  in  others  which  seem  ridiculous  or  savage.' 
'  There  are  no  ridiculous  or  savage  practices  in  the  eyes 
of  God;  the  disciples  of  such  religions  believe  they  make 
themselves  agreeable  to  him  by  offering  him  such  a  thing, 
or  praying  to  him  in  such  a  manner.  It  is  the  love,  with 
which  they  are  penetrated  for  God  that  animates  them, 
and  God  accepts  with  the  same  impartiality  whatsoever  is 
offered  him  with  a  view  of  being  agreeable  to  him  !' — 
'  There  existed,  and  there  still  exist,  nations  that  offer  up 
human  victims  to  God  in  their  sacrifices  ;  is  that  agreeable 
to  God?'  *Yes,  for  these  men  offer  up  to  him  their 
dearest  possessions  in  the  persons  of  their  children, 
brethren,  and  friends ;  they  give  him  a  proof  of  a  superior 
love  which  God  can  not  reject,  especially  when  these  men 
are  convinced  of  the  value  of  their  offering,  and  make  it 
not  with  indifterence.'  " ! ! !     (  Cel.  Tel,  vol.  ii.,  pp.  64,  65.) 

20.  They  teach  and  inculcate  the  uprooung  and  de- 
struction OF  Christianity!! 

" '  The  revelations  through  the  mediums  vary  some- 
what, yet  all  are  of  a  radical  character.  T/iei/  teach  the 
overthrow  of  existing  church  organizations^  and  say  that 
vital  changes  must  be  made  in  the  social  and  commercial 
world.  The  belief  in  the  spiritual  agency  of  these  teach- 
ings being  quite  general,  and  becoming  more  so  every 
day,  the  effect  will  be,  as  we  previously  stated,  to  form  a 
great  radical  party,  which  will  develop  itself  ere-long,  and 
astonish  the  world  by  its  strength.'  "  {Mod.  Spiritual- 
ism^ p.  308.) 

In  proof  of  this,  we  present  a  war-like  communication 
from  the  spirit  of  Rev.  W.  Wisheart ;  found  in  Epit. 
Sjyir.  Int.,  pp.  107,  108. 

"  The  guerilla  warfare  is  well  in  its  place,  but  a  regular 
army  is  needed  to  give  complete  efiiciency.     It  is  almost 


DOCTRINES  TAUGHT.  339 

time  to  stop  putting  new  cloth  on  old  garments ;  there 
will  be  enough  half-breeds  left  behind  to  keep  the  old  so- 
cial organization  in  a  constant  ferment,  and  enough  mem- 
bers of  spiritualist  communities  detached  from  time  to 
time  to  carry  on  offensive  operations ;  but  every  thorough 
Spiritualist  should  have  a  home  among  his  kindred.  In- 
dividual sovereignty  is  well ;  unity  is  better ;  purity  is 
indispensable  ;  but  love,  guided  by  wisdom,  will  fuse  them 
in  one  homogeneous  mass.  We  shall  shake  the  old  social 
organization  to  its  centre  ;  we  will  shiver  it  in  fragments ; 
we  defy  opposition ;  we  court  inquiry ;  we  scorn  intimi- 
dation ;  we  know  our  mission,  and  we  can  not  fail.  We 
are  not  omnipotent,  and  can  not  control  conditions ;  but 
we  know  what  we  can  do,  and  the  future  is  not  hidden 
to  us.  Arrest  the  hurricane,  defy  the  earthquake,  drive 
back  the  rail-car  at  full  speed,  by  standing  in  its  way,  but 
think  not  to  stop  our  work"  ! ! 

These  are  brave  words,  but  we  fancy  they  sound  more 
like  the  gasconading  of  a  devil,  than  the  utterance  of  a 
good  spirit.  Our  Spiritualists  are  quite  too  sure  of  their 
game.  There  is  a  story  of  one  GoHah,  in  that  old  book 
they  make  the  butt  of  their  ridicule,  from  which  they 
might  derive  a  profitable  lesson. 

21.  They  teach  that  Spiretualism  is  to  inaugurate 

THE   MiLLENNIUar. 

Thus  Dr.  Dexter  writes,  and  he  is  evidently  earnest, 
sincere,  and  withal  one  of  their  best  writers : 

"  Since  the  '  salt'  of  the  Church  has,  in  respect  to  these 
matters,  (he  has  been  speaking  of,)  '  lost  its  savor,  and  is 
henceforth  good  for  nothing,  but  to  be  cast  out  and  trod- 
den under  foot  of  men,'  it  has  pleased  Divine  Providence 
to  develop  this  conserving  element  of  which  we  have 
spoken,  in  the  form  of  what  is  now  termed  Spiritualism." 

"  Is  there,  then,  no  hope  for  this  state  of  progress  and 
happiness  for  man,  either  under  the  dispensations  of  the 
old  revelations  or  the  promises  and  prospects  of  this  new 
disclosure  ?    For  eighteen  hundred  years  the  world  has 


340  A  THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

waited  for  the  coming  of  that  day  when  man  should  live 
in  harmony  with  his  brother  and  in  fellowship  with  God. 
Prophets  and  priests  have  foretold  its  advent,  and  pre- 
dicted the  millennium  by  the  positive  promises  which 
have  been  made  by  spirits  of  the  other  world.  And  may 
it  not  be  that  the  shades  of  that  long  night  are  now  shim- 
mering into  new-bom  day,  the  dawn  of  which  colors  the 
shadows  of  ages  with  its  own  bright  tints  of  hope  and 
promise !  Even  now  the  prayer  ascends  from  millions  of 
happy  hearts,  disenthralled  and  redeemed  from  death  to 
life  by  the  power  of  those  truths  which  Spiritualism  has 
revealed — that  the  time  may  soon  come  when  peace  shall 
reign  on  earth,  and  good-will  to  man  be  manifest  in  the 
earnest  endeavor  of  all  to  assist  each  other  to  increase 
their  own  exellence,  and  the  purity  and  happiness  of  the 
whole  race." 


Thus  we  have  shown  the  creed  of  Modern  Spiritualists 
both  in  its  negative  and  positive  form.  And  although 
they  have  the  assurance  to  arrogate  to  it  the  name  of 
Christianity^  for  the  sake  of  popularizing  the  system,  it 
will  be  seen  there  is  not  the  faintest  semblance  between 
it  and  the  "  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints."  So  very 
far  from  this,  no  well-read  man  can  fail  to  see,  that  it  is  a 
miserable  hash  of  heathen^  mythologies,  in  which  even 
the  teachings  of  Christ  are  degraded  below  those  of 
demons ! 

Such  being  the  doctrines  of  this  spirit-theology,  we  are 
left  to  guess  what  its  operation  will  be  in  morals.  Nay, 
we  are  wrong.  Its  great  apostle.  Dr.  Hare,  who  presents 
his  credentials  from  the  spirits,  and  who  was  thus  ad- 
dressed by  his  spirit-sister :  "  My  brother,  I  would  say  a 
word  to  you  touching  your  duty  in  regard  to  the  present 
dispensation.  You  occupy  a  prominent  and  important 
place  in  the  dissemination  of  this  most  glorious  GospeP^ ! 
does  not  leave  us  to  guess.  He  has  given  us  a  broad 
hint,  p.  241 : 


SPIIIITUALISM   ACCUESED.  341 

"  1263.  Were  his  (man's)  organization  and  education 
dependent  on  himself,  it  might  be  reasonable  to  say  to  a 
human  being :  Love  your  neighbor  as  yourself;  love  your 
enemies ;  but  how  can  that  Deity  who  determines  man's 
race  and  his  parentage,  and  of  course  whether  he  be  a 
savage  or  a  civilized  man,  whether  a  Thug  or  a  real 
Christian,  if  such  a  thing  can  be — how  can  that  Deity  re- 
quire a  being  to  do  that  which  is  irreconcilable  with  his 
passions,  opinions,  and  habits,  derived  from  nature  and 
education,  as  well  as  the  examples  set  by  those  around 
him  ?" ! ! ! 

The  spirit-literature  of  this  movement  labors  to  deny  or 
to  pervert  the  doctrines  of  Christianity,  and  to  establish 
another  gospel  holding  out  immunity  to  crime.  There 
is  not  a  devil  on  earth  or  in  hell,  that  would  not  hail  and 
heartily  approve  of  this  system.  It  removes  aU  restraints 
from  the  wicked,  it  gives  encouragement  to  the  licentious 
and  the  vile  to  prosecute  their  nefarious  ways,  and  is  well 
fitted  to  harden  the  heart  of  every  profligate  against  every 
just,  and  virtuous,  and  noble  sentiment  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ.  Our  evidence  of  the  horrid  fact  we  have  spread 
out  before  the  reader,  and  there  is  much  more  of  the 
same  sort  left.  This  is  the  gospel  of  the  "  New  Dispensa- 
tion," which  already  has  proved  to  thousands  the  bitter- 
ness of  gall,  and  the  ruin  of  their  temporal  peace.  Well 
did  Paul  perceive  the  issue  of  such  delusion  when  he  said  : 
"  Though  we  or  an  angel  from  heaven  preach  any  other 
gospel  unto  you  than  that  which  we  have  preached  unto 
you,  let  him  be  accuesed." 

The  few  truths  entering  the  system  which  may  be  pre- 
sented as  first  principles,  no  one  can  deny ;  but  in  their 
unnatural  connection's,  being  shorn  of  their  power,  they 
just  serve  to  gild  the  bitter  piU  which  poisons  the  moral 
system,  and  carries  the  unerring  dart  of  death  to  every 
reasonable  hope  and  every  rational  prospect  of  heaven. 


342  A  THKEE-FOLD   TEST. 

Some  of  the  worst  features  of  the  heathen  mythologies 
it  adopts,  and  attempts  to  pahn  oiF  as  heaven-sent  verities 
to  soothe  the  human  heart,  fretted  by  the  repulsive  doc- 
trines of  "  popular  theology,"  and  to  help  man  onward 
in  '-'- Progression''^  !  Thus,  in  solemn,  figure-forbidding 
prose,  spirit  Pythagoras  says  :  "  Death  is  a  great  leveller. 
WJien  Charon  loafts  the  weary  soul  over  the  Styx^  he 
strips  it  of  all  wealth,  titles,  honors,  and  ornaments" ! ! 
{Life  in  the  Spheres^  p.  137.) 

Who  shall  say  that  the  venerable  philosopher,  now 
"  twenty-five  centuries"  old,  in  the  spheres,  has  less  claim 
upon  our  confidence  than  any  one  of  the  great  spirits  that 
have  dictated  the  new  system  ?  Yet,  according  to  him,  Cha- 
ron and  the  Styx  are  great  realities,  to  engage  the  sober 
consideration  of  our  Spiritualists.  It  will  not  do  to  ac- 
cuse him  of  being  a  "  lying  spirit,"  to  get  rid  of  these  ex- 
humed fossil  remains  of  a  barbarous  age ;  for,  according 
to  the  internal  evidence  pervading  spirit-talk,  all  the  rest 
would  be  in  the  same  condemnation.  The  credentials  of 
Pythagoras  are  equal  to  any  from  the  same  source  ever 
presented  in  modern  times.  This,  then,  we  claim  as  an 
additional  evidence  of  the  heathenism  of  the  system : 
"  Charon  wafts  the  weary  soul  over  the  Styx"  ! !  Take 
care,  gentlemen,  of  that  old  fellow  ;  be  sure,  every  man 
of  you,  to  have  his  "  obolus"  ready  ! 

But  Mr.  Brittan  says  :  "We  insist  that  the  real  charac- 
ter of  the  spirits  is  most  clearly  revealed  in  what  they  do 
and  say.''''  Agreed.  We  insist,  that  out  of  their  own 
mouth,  (if  they  have  any)  they  stand  condemned ;  and 
pitiable,  indeed,  is  the  condition  of  those  that  have  been 
misled ;  for  all  who  believe  in  demonology  are  on  the  high 
road  to  demonolatry  and  demonocracy,  and  ultimately 
shall  become  demonomists  in  a  worse  state  and  place  than 
the  black  sand  plane,  the  vision  of  which,  vouchsafed  to 


A   PLEA   ANTICIPATED.  343 

the  Judge,  must  be  terrible,  especially  to  Long  Island 
farmers. 

"  The  first  and  worst  of  all  frauds  is  to  cheat 
One's  self.     All  sin  is  easy  after  that." 

That  the  foregoing  synopsis  of  the  doctrines  of  Spirit- 
ualism will  be  denied,  scarcely  admits  of  a  doubt ;  for 
they  are  so  repulsive  to  common-sense,  so  disorganizing 
to  our  social  happiness  and  peace  in  their  practical  ten- 
dencies, and  so  abominable  in  their  evident  effects  upon 
the  soul,  in  time  and  eternity,  tha^  we  shall  see  there  will 
be  felt  a  necessity  to  repudiate,  under  the  convenient  plea 
that  for  individual  opinions,  as  put  forth  in  the  books  we 
have  quoted,  Spiritualism  is  not  to  be  held  accountable. 
We  shall  be  told,  that  the  doctrines  of  the  "  New  Dispen- 
sation" are  simply  "  the  immortality  of  the  soul,"  "  love 
to  God  and  man,"  "holy  communion  with  departed 
friends,"  and  "  eternal  progression." 

But  this  plea  will  be  of  no  avail;  because  these  doc- 
trines are  set  forth  as  taught  hy  good  and  well-progressed 
spirits,  commissioned  by  God  to  teach  them,  and  these 
spirits  have  all  been  tested  and  their  characters  proved  as 
worthy  of  our  reliance.  They  are  none  of  your  miserable 
gibbering  ghosts,  whose  ignorance  and  depravity  have  con- 
signed them  to  the  purgatory  of  the  black  sand  plane,  where 
they  must  sweat  for  consequences  of  unpropitious  circum- 
tances,  over  w^hich  they  had  no  control,  ^'either  do  they 
come  from  villains  of  spiritual  power,  whose  "  lips  were 
lined  with  the  immortal  lie,  and  dyed  with  all  the  look  of 
truth  ;"  for  such  can  be  detected :  but  they  come  from 
noble  spirits,  whose  wisdom,  kindness,  intelligence, 
strength,  beauty,  and  supernal  worth,  have  all  been  tried. 
They  have  shown  their  credentials  and  have  been  accept- 
ed, and  their  teachings,  communicated  through  remarka- 
bly gifted  media,  all  of  good  character,  honest  and  true 


344  A   THKEE-I^OLD    TEST. 

even  to  a  fault,  have  been  widely  published  in  books, 
large  and  small,  at  great  expense.  It  would,  therefore, 
be  preposterous  to  deny  that  any  of  these  teachings,  so 
well  attested,  do  not  belong  to  Spiritualism.  They  come 
not  from  human  brains,  nor  from  unprogressed  spirits,  but 
from  the  holy  inhabitants  of  the  upper  spheres.  So  say 
our  Spiritualists ;  and  the  industry  with  which  they  are 
circulated  is  an  insurmountable  bar  to  any  such  plea  as  we 
have  supposed  will  be  made. 


N.B. — Since  writing  the  above,  the  author  has  discov- 
ered a  fraud,  the  mention  of  which  he  is  unwilling  to 
omit.  It  is  this  :  On  the  second  page  of  the  appendix  of 
Judge  Edmonds'  first  vol.  on  Spiritualism,  there  is  a/ac- 
simile  of  the  "  handwriting  of  Swedenborg,"  given  pro- 
fessedly by  himself  controlling  the  passive  hand  of  Dr. 
Dexter.  The  writer  has  recently  examined  the  real  fac- 
simile at  the  rooms  of  the  Swedenborgian  Society  in  the 
Bible  House,  and  hereby  certifies  that  they  are  totally 
diverse  from  each  other.  This  goes  to  strengthen  our 
previously- written  argument  on  the  personating  of  de- 
mons. And  as  the  Judge  and  the  Doctor  have  been  in 
this  instance  manifestly  imposed  upon,  we  hold  that  the 
imposition  has  been  practised  throughout,  and  that  they 
are  victimized. 


THE  CONFLICTS   OF   CHEISTIANITY.  345 


CHAPTER  IX. 

"  Trite  venom  churns  the  froth  out  of  the  lips ; 
It  works  and  works,  like  any  waterwheel." — Fbstus. 

WAR   UPON   CHRISTIANITY. 

Christianity  has  survived  its  former  Enemies — Character  and  Plan  of  the 
New  Adversary — Anti-Christ  shown  to  be  an  Incarnation  of  the  Devil — 
Modern  Spiritualism  most  likely  to  develop  Him — Spirit  Swedenborg 
•  confirms  this  view — War  proclaimed— Proofs  from  Spiritualist-Authors 
— Attack  upon  Christ — His  Precepts  maligned — Old  Testament  assailed 
— Attack  upon  the  Sabbath — Morals  of  Christians  assailed — The  Assail- 
ant a  Duellist — Further  Proof— Spiritualists  honest,  but  deceived. 

The  Cause  of  Christ  has  lived  throughout  the  storms 
of  eighteen  hundred  years.  The  map  of  the  world  mean- 
Avhile,  has  often  been  changed.  !N'ations,  dynasties,  and 
institutions  of  various  forms  have  arisen,  flourished  for  a 
time,  and  "  as  though  an  earthquake  smacked  its  mumb- 
ling lips  o'er  some  thick-peopled  city,"  they  all  have  disap- 
peared. 

Where  now  is  there  one  of  these  unbroken,  to  com- 
pare dates  with  Christianity  ?  Yet  she  has  never  known 
the  absence  of  a  foe.  Her  enemies  have  ever  been  ad- 
vancing by  legions ;  and  by  legions  they  have  perished 
at  her  feet.  Often  have  they  changed  all  modes  of  at- 
tack, and  as  often  have  been  foiled.  Her  dearest  interests 
have  indeed  been  scarred  by  open  enemies  who  have 
15* 


346  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

gained  advantage  in  unfair  battle,  but  none  have  ever  in- 
jured her  so  much  as  those  who  wore  her  costume,  gained 
her  confidence,  and  under  the  mask  of  friendship,  be- 
trayed her  cause.  Still  she  lives  a  tower  of  strength. 
Through  hidden  channels  she  receives  from  her  great 
Head,  whom  all  good  spirits  honor  and  adore,  uncon- 
querable courage.  Himself  has  nerved  her  for  the  conquest 
of  a  victory  in  every  struggle.  She  bears  "  the  sword 
of  the  spirit,"  and  is  well  covered  by  her  "shield  of 
faith,"  and  "  helmet  of  salvation." 

Open  infidelity  now  no  longer  rejoices  in  the  intellect- 
ual power  of  giants.  They  are  all  dead,  though  their 
cause  yet  lives  ;  and  is  furious  in  its  weakness.  The  war- 
worn weapons  of  Porphory  and  Celsus,  of  Gibbon, 
Hume,  Voltaire,  and  Paine,  and  others  sharing  their 
inglorious  fame,  are  wielded  now  by  feebler  hands  un- 
guided  by  a  competency  of  wit  and  skill ;  and  further- 
more, by  frequent  smiting  on  the  bosses  of  her  buckler, 
their  edges  have  been  badly  battered.  Hence  they  are 
unfit  for  service,  unless  relaid,  and  ground  by  "  spirit- 
hands,"  and  used  under  the  direction  of  "  spirit-brains," 
because  the  human  have  been  worn  out  in  the  service. 

"  The  Prince  of  the  power  of  the  air"  seemed  to  have 
exhausted  all  his  wisdom,  in  devising  the  destruction  of 
Christianity  ;  but  his  inventive  genius  has  lately  hit  upon 
another  plan,  which  adds  to  his  renown  as  an  experienced 
tactician.  This  plan  unites  the  aforesaid  power,  with 
human  agency,  in  a  scheme  of  demonocracy ;  in  which,  as 
commander-in-chief  whose  existence  must  he  denied^ 
himself,  shall  direct  cohorts  of  spirits  clad  in  the  garb  of 
angels  of  light  and  with  concealed  weapons,  to  over- 
spread the  world,  unite  with  fleshly  enemies,  use  the 
nomenclature  of  Christianity,  and  by  their  wondrous  arts, 
bewilder  the  "  simple  faithful",  and  make  them  beheve 


A   PERSONAL   ANTI-CURIST.  34^ 

they  have  a  new  revelation  which,  by  the  command  of 
God  and  by  the  laws  of  "  development,"  must  supplant 
the  old  forms  of  faith,  correct  the  gross  mistakes  of  man- 
kind, and  deliver  them  from  their  thraldom  to  the  priest- 
craft of  Christianity.  When  thus  by  wonders^  not  mira- 
cles, they  have  entranced  the  senses,  and  by  words,  thus 
enforced,  have  gained  the  attention  of  the  awe-struck, 
then  they  will  unsheathe  their  weapons  and  cut  every  Uga- 
ment  that  binds  the  human  heart  to  the  cause  of  salva- 
tion by  the  atonement  of  Christ ! 

This  is  the  plan.  Confessedly  it  is  well  devised,  and  in 
its  execution,  promises  to  phosphoresce  a  while,  and  amaze 
the  world  by  extra-mundane  sights,  and  sounds,  and 
spirit-pyrotechnics ;  but  however  long  or  short  may  be 
the  battle,  this  novel  plan,  like  all  its  predecessors,  is  fore- 
doomed to  failure ;  and  Christianity  yet  shall  laugh  over 
a  grand  "  stampede"  of  devils. 

The  author  of  "  Christian  Theism"  thus  remarks : 
"  Some  Christians  have  been  of  opinion  that  the  agency 
of  spirits  was  permitted  in  former  times,  and  especially 
at  the  epoch  of  Redemption,  to  an  extent  which  has 
since  been  prohibited  by  the  Divine  Will.  It  has  even 
been  conjectured  that  similar  manifestations,  and  perhaps 
a  reign  of  atheism  or  anti-christ,  instigated  and  led  by 
evil  spirits^  will  precede  the  second  advent  of  the  Mes- 
siah." 

This  is  more  than  probable ;  indeed  we  think  it  will  be 
the  literal  fact.  There  is  predicted  in  2  Thess.  2d  chap., 
a  great  apostasy  to  take  place  in  the  "latter  times," 
when  "  some  shall  depart  from  the  faith,  giving  heed  to 
seducing  spirits  and  doctrines  of  demons.'''*  This  apos- 
tasy is  to  be  succeeded  by  an  incarnation  of  the  devil,  which 
will  be  THE  Anti-Cheist  preeminently,  and  is  to  be  the 
great  culmination  of  embodied  wickedness  out  of  the  vari- 


348  A    THKEE-FOLD  TEST. 

ous  forms  of  anti-Christianity  that  had  its  incipiency  in 
apostolic  times.  One  of  these,  is  the  concentrated  mass 
o;f  iniquity  called  Popery,  whose  varied  and  protracted 
evils  and  abominations  have  been  so  great,  as  to  lead  to 
a  very  extensive  belief  that  Popery  is  the  "falling  away," 
and  the  Pope,  (who  does  not  die,)  "  that  man  of  sin,  the 
son  of  perdition."  Many  arguments  favor  this  view,  but 
that  which  appears  to  forbid  us  to  suppose  the  system  of 
Popery  to  exhaust  the  idea  of  Paul,  is  the  fact  that  the 
"  falling  away"  takes  place  firsts  and  before  the  "  revela- 
tion of  the  man  of  sin ;"  whereas  the  Papacy  is  insepara- 
ble from  the  Roman  Communion,  both  alike  having 
been  for  centuries  revealed  in  all  the  hideousness  of  moral 
deformity. 

We  think  the  arguments  preponderate  for  a  personal 
Anti-Christ.  This  does  not  invalidate  the  application  of 
this  term  to  Romanism,  as  descriptive  of  a  terrific  power 
whose  inherent  tendency  is  to  produce  all  the  evil  whose 
working  is  to  head  out,  with  similar  agencies,  into  the 
incarnation  we  have  spoken  of,  since  Anti-Christ  is  to  be 
considered  both  as  a  spiritual  tendency  diffused  in  many 
individualities,  and  the  eventual  terminus  of  that  ten- 
dency in  a  single  personality.  "  Demoniac  powers,"  says 
Olshausen,  "  which  we  see  at  work  in  the  history  of  the 
world,  call  forth  Anti-Christian  formations  now  in  this 
shape,  now  in  that^  and  that  too  in  such  a  way  that 
an  augmentation  of  evil  is  visibly  to  be  observed." 
Popery  is  a  great  promoter  of  InfideUty,  and  we  think 
the  Infidel  Anti-Christ  in  its  widely  diffusing  power 
wni  be  the  final  result  of  all  human  corruption  in  the  for- 
mation of  a  Man  of  Sin. 

This  would  seem  to  be  the  true  issue  of  evil  in  its  pre- 
sent development ;  for  it  is  to  be  noted  that  the  term 
apostasy  does  not  refer  so  much  to  a  corruption  as  to  a 
total  abandonment  of  religion. 


A   PERSONAL   ANTI  CHRIST.  349 

Further,  the  scriptural  argument  seems  to  lie  altogether 
in  this  direction.  The  preposition  anti^  in  composition ^ 
denotes  not  only  opposition  but  similarity  /  as  in  anti- 
type. Thus  Anti-  Christ  not  only  means  the  opposer^  as 
in  2  Thess.  2:4;  and  the  liar,  as  in  1  John  2 :  22 ;  but  it 
marks  a  striking  similarity  between  Christ  and  Anti-Christ 
for  the  purpose  of  deception.  Certainly  no  "  false  Christ" 
could  succeed  but  by  imitation.  As  there  was  an  apo- 
calypse of  Christ,  so  there  will  be  an  apocalypse  of  Anti- 
Christ  ;  as  there  was  a  fullness  of  time  for  the  appearance 
of  the  one,  so  it  remains  for  the  other  to  "  be  revealed 
in  his  time  ;"  as  the  one  was  in  his  person,  the  "  mystery 
of  godliness,'''*  so  the  other,  in  his  person,  will  be  the 
"  mystery  of  iniquity.''''  The  one  mystery,  was  "  God 
manifest  in  the  flesh ;"  the  other  will  be  "  the  Devil 
manifest  in  the  flesh." 

This  is  the  old  interpretation,  in  which  the  Fathers  all 
agreed.  "  Let  us  not,"  said  Jerome,  "  suppose  him,  ac- 
cordmg  to  the  opinion  of  some,  either  to  be  a  devil  or  a 
demon,  but  one  of  the  human  race,  in  whom  all  Satan 
shall  dwell  bodily."  His  personality,  beyond  a  doubt  is 
described  by  the  use  of  the  article  in  six  difierent  titles. 
Faber  thinks  the  last  great  apostasy  is  to  be  of  a  Socino- 
infidel  character,  and  will  be  productive  of  a  personal 
head,  or  leader,  the  man  of  sin,  the  son  of  perdition,  terms 
not  likely  to  be  employed  in  designating  either  a  principle 
of  evil,  or  a  united  host  actuated  by  it.  Olshausen  is  of 
opinion  that  "  the  proof  of  the  individuality  of  Anti-Christ 
can  plainly  be  wrested  from  2  Thes.  2  :  3-10,  only  by 
forcing  its  meaning." 

Now  it  is  very  clear,  that  the  doctrines  of  Anti-Christ 
can  not  be  worse  than  those  we  have  extracted  from  the 
books  of  Modern  Spiritualism.  They  deny  the  incarna- 
nation,  the  deity,  the  atonement  of  Christ.     "  Who  is  a 


350  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

liar,  but  he  that  denieth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  ?  He  is 
Anti-  Christ  that  denieth  the  Father  and  the  Son."  (1  John 
2  :  22.)  These  doctrines  are  the  teachings  of  spirits,  and 
distinctly  determine  their  character.  They  are  more  or 
less  taught  in  every  place  where  these  spirits  operate,  and 
we  are  told  the  movement  is  rapidly  spreading  through- 
out the  world.  If  this  be  true,  and  if  the  aforesaid  inter- 
pretation be  correct,  we  think  there  is  no  agency  in  the 
world  so  likely  to  produce  this  Man  of  Sin,  as  the  one  we 
are  considering.  This  apostasy^  be  it  remembered,  is  not 
a  corruption  of  Christianity,  but  a  total  denial  of  it ;  a 
combination  of  evil  principles  that  have  singly  prevailed 
in  different  periods  of  time ;  a  new  process  of  infusing 
unwonted  energy  into  all  the  worn-out  forms  of  infidelity ; 
and  an  efficient  apparatus  for  the  most  extensive  delusion 
of  mankind. 

The  descriptive  terms  of  Scripture,  used  to  show  the 
modus  operandi  by  which  Anti-Christ  shall  be  developed, 
and  shall  conduct  his  work,  are  remarkably  applicable  to 
the  whole  of  this  business.  Demons  are  preparing  the 
way  for  great  revolutions,  which  we  are  told,  must  take 
place  in  the  social  as  well  as  rehgious  world ;  and  who 
but  they  should  be  an  appropriate  agency  ?  How  could 
they  succeed  better,  than  by  playing  upon  the  credulity 
and  affections  of  men,  in  the  assumed  character  of  de- 
parted friends  ?  How  more  completely  deceive,  than  by 
the  achievement  of  physical  wonders,  and  pretensions  to 
great  benevolence  ?  They  must  first  of  all  gain  credit. 
Kow  let  us  look  for  a  moment  into  this  chapter. 

1 .  Whose  COMING  is  after  the  working  of  Sataoi^  that 
is,  whose  presence  will  be  produced  by  the  energy  of  Sa- 
tan. This  will  be  by  his  crafty  operations  as  an  angel  of 
lights  so  cunningly  devised,  and  skillfully  managed  as  to 
deceive  if  possible  the  very  elect.     Now  our  Spii'itualists 


A  PERSONAL  ANTI-CHRIST.  361 

are  so  energetic  in  their  belief,  that  they  will  not  talk  so 
as  to  imply  any  possible  mistake  or  any  doubt  with  regard 
to  the  heavenly  origin  and  design  of  their  "  immortal  ad- 
visers." "  We  know,"  is  their  language.  Their  decep- 
tion relates  not  so  much  or  so  ruinously  to  the  fact  of 
spirit-agency,  as  to  its  nature.  We  have  given  the  evi- 
dence of  the  intention  of  this  movement  announced  from 
the  spirit-world  by  pseudo-Wisheart  and  others.  The 
vast  numbers  already  deluded,  really  believe  that  "  Satan" 
and  "hell-fire"  are  nonentities,  and  all  the  distinctive 
doctrines  of  Christianity  the  result  of  priest-craft,  long 
successful  by  the  aid  of  an  old  mythologic  book  whose 
antiquity  has  favored  its  high  claim  and  triumphs  with 
the  unthinking  masses,  but  whose  pretensions  can  not 
stand  the  test  of  science  and  sound  reason.  Their  num. 
ber  is  augmenting  daily,  and  their  leaders  are  boisterous 
in  rejoicing  over  their  unparalleled  success  on  both  con- 
tinents, between  which  the  Atlantic  bears  on  its  bosom 
the  productions  of  their  presses,  and  the  news  of  "  pro- 
gression." The  adaptations  in  the  system  to  consolidate 
the  various  clans  of  adversaries  are  simple  and  effective. 
Names  of  gentleman,  who  are  not  easily  duped,  as  we  are 
told,  peril  their  high  reputation  upon  the  truth  of  the 
newly-opened  intercourse  between  mortals  and  their 
dearest  friends  who  have  passed  into  the  other  world. 
This  fact,  that  many  attempts  during  the  past  eight  years, 
to  detect  imposture,  and  to  explain  the  phenomena  by 
science  have  all  failed,  is  presented  to  thousands  of  inqui- 
rers, 2i9,  prima  facie  evidence  of  the  superior  claims  of  the 
new  religion^ — a  religion  that  exactly  suits  all  deemed  irre- 
ligious by  the  "  popular  theology," — a  religion  that  comes 
home  to  the  affections,  not  by  abstract  propositions  and  dry 
dogmas,  but  by  the  outpourings  of  love  from  kindred  and 
friends  rejoicing  in  the  beatitudes  of  their  spirit-home, — a 


352  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

religion  that  positively  so  lights  up  with  smiles  the  grim 
visage  of  death,  that  it  loses  all  its  repulsiveness, — a  religion 
that  knows  nothing  of  "the  blood  of  the  Lamb,"  nor  of 
"  the  terrors  of  the  Lord,"  but  proves  immortal  happiness, 
the  infalUble  inheritance  of  every  individual  of  the  race  ; 
and  a  religion  to  which  the  term  salvation  does  not  be- 
long, since  pkogression  covers  every  case.  It  plays  with 
the  imagination,  it  adapts  itself  to  the  carnal  views,  and 
the  modes  of  thought  common  to  worldly-minded  men,  it 
places  the  prize  of  an  advanced  starting-point  of  progression 
in  the  spheres,  within  the  competency  of  every  man  to  pur- 
chase. The  thousands  that  daily  congregate  at  "  circles," 
are  so  fascinated,  as  to  employ  their  colloquial  powers  for 
its  advancement  in  every  rank  of  society ;  especially  is 
this  true  of  females,  whose  number,  won  from  the  Church 
of  Christ,  is  a  matter  of  boast. 

We  have  shown  what  are  the  doctrines  of  this  system, 
as  well  as  the  avowed  design  of  uprooting  the  Church,  and 
producing  great  civil  and  ecclesiastical  changes  in  the 
world.  We  have  shown  that  it  arrogates  to  itself  the 
name  of  Christian,  persuading  us  that  the  popular  theo- 
logy is  at  variance  with  true  Christianity  as  it  was  meant 
to  be,  and  claiming  Christ  as  a  Spiritualist  of  their  own 
order,  and  the  highest,  greatest  medium  /  of  whom  they 
delight  to  make  the  most  reverential  mention !  All  this 
is  energetically  believed  upon  what  they  take  to  be  the 
unmistakable  authority  of  pure  and  holy  spii'its,  whom 
God  has  commissioned  to  reform  the  world.  They  do 
not  absolutely  condemn  the  Church  as  she  has  existed, 
but  only  the  evils  that  have  been  developed  out  of  her  in 
by-gone  ages,  and  the  theology  of  i]iQ  present  age.  She 
has  accomplished  her  mission,  and  has  done  a  good  work; 
but  tempora  mutantur.  She  never  was  designed  to  last 
for  ever,  but  hke  all  other  organizations  must  yield  to  the 


WHAT   IS   PKOVED,  "  353 

demands  of  human  progress.  Peace  be  to  her  ashes! 
while  we  inaugurate  the  Millennium  by  union  of  heaven 
and  earth  through  the  intervention  of  Modern  Spirit- 
ualism !     This  is  adapted  to  universal  humanity  ! 

N'ow  we  defy  any  mental  effort  to  elaborate  a  scheme, 
more  exactly  adapted  to  develop  Anti-Christ ;  and  in  its 
men  and  measures  to  exhibit  an  energy^  exactly  in  keep- 
ing with  the  character  of  the  Deceiver  of  the  nations. 
He  never  uses  poor  tools,  while  his  experience  enables 
liim  to  complicate  his  devices  and  deceptions,  as  to  escape 
the  detection  of  all  who  are  willing  to  join  in  the  experi- 
ment of  modern  Spiritualism. 

2.  With  all  power  and  signs  and  lying  iconders.  The 
Power  is  in  the  adaptations  of  craft.  The  Signs,  are  the 
tests,  and  revelation  or  exposition  of  personal  secrets,  cal- 
culated to  excite  the  imagination,  entrance  the  senses,  and 
pervert  the  judgment.  Here  is  poetry  for  the  stupidest 
intellect,  and  a  charm  for  the  dullest  heart.  The  Lying 
Wonders  are  such,  only  in  their  claims  as  the  credentials 
of  high  Heaven,  presented  by  good  spirits,  who  teach  the 
doctrines  we  have  enumerated,  and  would  persuade  the 
world  that  they  are  sent  from  God. 

Spirit  Swedenborg  has  thus  given  an  exposition  of  2 
Thess.  2d  chap.,  to  the  Bible-class  above  referred  to, 
speaking  the  truth  so  as  to  pervert  it : 

"  The  man  of  sin,  there  spoken  of,  is  now  being  revealed 
through  these  manifestations^  as  well  as  the  glory  of  the 
Lord,  who  shall  finally  consume  the  evil  and  false  with 
the  spirit  of  his  mouth,  and  destroy  them  with  the 
brightness  of  his  coming,  as  the  manifestations  progress. 
For  the  mystery  of  iniquity  doth  already  work ;  only  he 
who  now  letteth,  will  let  until  he  be  taken  out  of  the  way. 
The7'e  may  be^  therefore,  great  power,  and  signs,  and  ly- 
ing wonders  manifested  by  the  spirits  of  evil ;  but  the 
wisdom,  and  power,  and  glory,  and  truth  given  by  the  spir- 


354  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

its  commissioned  from  the  Lord,  will  eventually  triumph. 
The  spiritual  coming  of  the  Lord  is  now  taking  place,  and 
will  continue  to  grow  brighter  and  brighter  as  it  progresses, 
till  the  light  shall  destroy  all  powers  of  darkness  now  be- 
ing revealed  both  in  and  out  of  the  body."  {Spiritual 
Measoner^  pp.  178,  179.) 

Here  then  we  have  high  authority  for  the  opinion  we 
have  formed,  mainly  on  philological  grounds.  "We  are 
distinctly  told  by  the  Baron  himself  from  the  spirit-world 
expounding  the  meaning  of  Paul,  that  the  man  of  sin  "is 
now  being  revealed,  through  these  manifestations."  There- 
fore we  may  look  for  "  great  power  and  signs,  and  ly- 
ing wonders  manifested  by  the  spirits  of  evil."  These 
we  have  already  seen  ;  but  "the  wisdom^  and^ot^^er,  and 
glory ^  and  truths  given  by  the  spirits"  of  an  opposite  na- 
ture, we  have  not  yet  seen ;  and  in  connection  with  this 
movement,  never  shall  see ;  for  as  the  same  fountain  can 
not  send  forth  sweet  water  and  bitter,  we  can  not  sup- 
pose that  both  "the  man  of  sin,"  and  the  "glory 
of  the  Lord"  will  be  revealed  by  the  same  instru- 
mentality. We  are  certain  of  the  presence  of  these  lying 
wonders,  we  can  not  be  made  certain  that  any  thing  spir- 
its have  yet  done  or  said,  is  incompatible  with  the  evil 
agency  by  which  we  are  assured  "  the  man  of  sin  is  now 
being  revealed."  What  then  are  we  to  infer  ?  Plainly 
this,  whatever  else  Spiritualism  may  pretend  to,  by  the 
authority  of  Swedenborg,  it  is  now  developing  Anti-Christ! 

3.  With  all  deceivableness  of  unrighteousness.  This 
phrase  covers  every  unrighteous  fraud  like  that  practised 
upon  poor  Doughty  by  a  medium  now  in  high  repute  for 
her  powers,  and  every  artifice  to  ruin  the  best  interests 
of  man. 

If  facts  can  j)rove  any  thing,  we  think  they  prove  that 
this  descriptive  text  delineates  to  the  life,  the  character 


THE  ENEMY'S   WARNING.  855 

of  modem  Spiritualism.  It  is  marshalling  the  forces  to 
be  eventually  under  the  commander-in-chief,  the  personal 
Anti-Christ,  "  whom  the  Lord,  Christ,  shall  consume  with 
the  breath  of  his  mouth,  and  shall  destroy  with  the  bright- 
ness of  his  coming." 

We  have  no  doubt  that  many  will  regard  our  reasoning 
i\dth  indifference  and  skepticism,  because  they  have  not 
seen  or  heard  so  much  of  this  movement  as  they  think 
mil  justify  it ;  but  they  will  have  the  goodness  to  credit 
us  with  an  experience  gathered  from  an  extensive  re- 
search, and  from  an  intercourse  with  the  friends  of  this 
cause,  to  which  they  are  professedly  strangers. 

This  pseudo-gospel  "  comes  not  with  observation."  It 
makes  no  great  popular  commotion  from  any  Jupiter 
Tonans,  but  its  progress  is  silently  onward, by  its  "circles," 
which  sit  from  morning  to  noon,  from  noon  to  night,  and 
from  night  to  morning,  every  day,  for  the  conversion  of 
skeptics.  It  seeks,  in  the  most  loving  manner,  to  console 
those  who  have  lost  Mends,  (and  who  hath  not  lost  a 
friend  ?)  by  bringing  them  back  to  assure  survivors  of 
their  happiness,  of  their  sad  beguilement,  when  "  in  the 
form,"  by  means  of  priests  and  popular  theology,  and  of 
their  guardianship  and  affectionate  anxiety  to  win  their 
dear  friends  from  popular  errors,  and  induce  them  to  trust 
in  the  asserted  truths  of  the  "  New  Dispensation."  Its 
appeal  is  directly  to  the  heart.  Therefore,  be  not  de- 
ceived. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  show,  by  Dr.  Hare's  book, 
entitled,  "  Spiritualism  Scientifically  Demonstrated,"  and 
from  other  sources,  that  an  exterminating  war  upon 
Christianity  is  proclaimed. 

We  deem  it  our  solemn  duty  to  expose  the  enemy  and 
their  aims  to  the  friends  of  Christianity,  by  extended 
quotations.    Perhaps  we  may  be  regarded  as  helping  on 


356  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

their  cause  by  this  course,  but  we  can  not  think  so.  Sure- 
ly, men  are  not  more  endangered  by  the  exposure  of 
peril  before  they  run  into  it.  We  desire  that  no  part  of 
the  system  or  design  be  unexplained. 

Past  experience  has  shown  that  so  long  as  the  Bible 
continues  to  command  the  respect  of  men  as  the  word  of 
God^  Christianity  is  impregnable.  Therefore,  in  the  out- 
set, a  degradation  of  the  Bible  is  the  first  necessary  point 
to  be  gained.  The  old  weapons  of  warfare  are  to  be  used 
with  the  advantage  of  a  new  power  at  the  head  of  the 
onset,  and  a  new  system  of  tactics.  Of  this  we  are  dis- 
tinctly informed,  and  are  sagely  warned  that  the  old  de- 
fenses will  avail  us  nothing  in  the  contest.  Thus  we  are 
told  by  one  of  the  great  oracles  of  Spiritualism.  {Free 
Thoughts^  pp.  16,  17.) 

"  Hugh  Miller,  author  of  '  Footprints  of  the  Creator,' 
who  has  written  as  good  a  plea  in  behalf  of  his  theologic 
faith  as  any  Churchman  could,  is  fully  conscious  of  the 
ignorance  of  the  clergy.  He  says :  '  The  clergy,  as  a 
class,  suffer  themselves  to  linger  far  in  the  rear  of  an 
intelligent  and  accomplished  laity ^  a  full  age  behind  the 
requirements  of  the  time.  Let  them  not  shut  their  eyes 
to  the  danger  which  is  obviously  coming !  The  battle  of 
the  evidences  (of  Christianity)  will  have  as  certainly  to  be 
fought  on  the  fields  of  physical  science  as  it  was  contested 
in  the  last  age  on  that  of  the  metaphysics.  And  on  this 
new  arena  the  combatants  will  have  to  employ  new  wea- 
pons^ which  it  will  be  the  privilege  of  the  challenger  to 
choose.  The  old,  opposed  to  these,  would  prove  of  but 
little  avail.'  Hence  the  arguments  of  Nelson,  or  Leslie, 
or  Paley,  or  Watson,  can  have  no  weight  in  the  stupend- 
ous battle  about  to  be  fought  between  despotism  and 
liberty." 

"  Greek,  Hebrew,  and  Latin  terms,  however  classic  and 
high-sounding — a  mere  battle  of  texts — can  have  no  pos- 
sible weight  in  settling  questions  which  involve  the  origin 
and  veracity  of  a  record  which  is  already  in  the  English 
language,   and  recommended  by  the   American    Bible 


AN    ATTACK   UPON   CHRIST.  35*7 

Society,  in  its  present  translation^  as  being  tlie  infallible 
word  of  God.  The  clergy  should  feel  grateful  to  us  for 
taking  the  trouble  to  show  them  the  battle-field  of  this 
century.'* 

N"o  doubt  the  clergy  are  as  grateful  for  this  as  for  "  the 
trouble  to  show  them"  the  wonders  of  "Life  in  the 
Spheres  ;"  but  we  think  both  are  acts  of  supererogation. 
On  this  "  battle-field"  they  will  not  be  found  wanting,  and 
are  not  without  good  hope  of  making  it  as  dreary  to  the 
adversaries  of  their  Lord  as  the  "  black  sand  plane,"  when 
they  come  to  farm  it  for  a  living. 

The  Old  Testament  has  always  been  the  arsenal  whence 
infidelity  has  drawn  its  weapons  ;  but  Christ  indorsed  it 
as  the  Scriptures  of  truth ;  therefore,  an  attack  is  made 
on  him,  to  degrade  his  person,  to  deny  his  claims,  and  to 
bring  his  authority  and  plan  of  salvation  into  contempt ! 
To  effect  this,  his  divinity  is  derided  and  denied,  and  his 
humanity  declared  to  be  the  ofispring  of  sin  and  shame ! 
[Hare's  Volume^  p.  217.) 

He  is  declared  to  have  been  igjiorant  of  the  future 
state ! 

"  764.  There  is  no  small  degree  of  contradiction  in 
Scripture  respecting  the  locality  of  heaven.  In  addressing 
the  tliief,  paradise  is  identified  with  heaven  by  Christ. 
'  St.  Paul  is  alleged  to  have  been  taken  up  into  paradise^"* 
says  Harbaugh ;  yet,  according  to  the  map  accompanying 
the  work  of  Josephus,  Paradise  is  represented  as  being 
upon  the  river  Tigris,  near  the  Persian  Gulf.  The  idea 
given  of  the  abode  of  Adam  and  Eve,  in  Genesis,  conveys 
the  impression  that  it  was  a  terrestrial  locality." 

"  766.  Elijah  was  carried  up  to  heaven  in  the  sight  of 
Elisha.  The  commandment  makes  heaven  above,  the 
earth  beneath.  Christ  was  seen  ascending  by  his  disci- 
ples, and  according  to  the  Apostles'  Creed,  after  descend- 
ing into  hell  he  arose  on  the  third  day  and  ascended  into 
heaven.    Yet  Josephus  consigns  both  heaven  and  hell  to 


358  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

a  subterranean  region,  Ike  the  Elysian  Fields  and  Erebns 
of  the  heathen,  but  places  them  on  each  side  of  a  lake  of 
everlasting  fire.  This  representation  is  sanctioned  in  the 
allusion  by  Christ  to  Dives,  Lazarus  and  Abraham ;  the 
former,  broihng  to  eternity,  requests  that  Lazarus  should 
get  a  Uttle  water,  to  cool  the  tip  of  his  tongue.  This, 
Abraham  declares  to  be  impossible.  Hence  it  appears 
the  parties  were  so  near  as  to  converse  with  each  other, 
and  for  those  who  were  blest  to  witness  the  sufierings  of 
the  damned.  Thus,  according  to  Christ,  as  well  as 
Josephus,  heaven  and  hell  are  in  immediate  proximity, 
and  both  must  be  in  the  infernal  regions." 

"  1273.  It  has  been  shown,  moreover,  that,  although 
Christ  occasionally  referred  to  hell,  yet  he  gave  incon- 
sistent views  of  it.  (738,  764.)  At  one  time,  it  is  fire, 
into  which  any  one  is  to  be  doomed  for  alleging  his 
brother  a  fool,  whether  this  allegation  be  true  or  not ;  at 
another  it  is  utter  darkness^  with  weeping  and  gnashing  of 
teeth ;  and  of  course  there  could  be  no  fire.  Then  the 
disgusting  description  given  by  Josephus  is  sanctioned, 
agreeably  to  which,  like  the  Elysium  and  Erebus  of  the 
heathen,  both  hell  and  heaven  are  subterranean  localities, 
but  separated  by  a  lake  of  unquenchable  fire,  across 
which  Abraham  and  Dives  converse.  At  another  time, 
heaven  is  above.  He  ascends  to  heaven  in  sight  of  his 
apostles,  yet  the  penitent  thief  is  to  be  with  him  in  para- 
dise, which,  agreeably  to  Genesis  and  Josephus,  is  upon 
the  earth,  on  the  river  Tigris,  near  the  Persian  Gulf. 
But  wherever  the  Elysium  and  Erebus  of  the  Gospel  may 
be,  all  souls,  according  to  it,  are  to  remain  in  their  graves 
till  the  '  last  day,'  and  then,  like  Samuel,  being  called  up 
from  their  tombs,  are  to  be  sorted  into  two  squadrons, 
of  which  one  is  to  go  to  an  undescrihed  heaven,  the  other 
to  the  '  hell-fire  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels, 
from  the  beginning  of  the  world.'  The  injustice  which 
would  follow  from  a  judgment  of  this  kind,  by  which 
two  souls,  difiering  from  each  other  only  by  a  shade, 
would  meet  a  fate  so  difierent,  that  one  would  have  to  go 
to  heaven,  the  other  to  hell,  to  remain  eternally,  is  so 
manifest,  that,  like  the  ultraism  of  the  same  record,  it  loses 
its  effect  altogether  upon  people  in  general. 


AN   ATTACK   UPON   CHIIIST.  359 

"  1274.  It  must  be  clear  that  the  great  mass  of  profess- 
ed Christians  are  very  little  restrained  by  their  fears  of 
such  an  eternity  of  punishment.  Had  Christ  any  specific 
knowledge  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven^  to  which  he  occa- 
sionally alluded^  wherefore  did  he  not  convey  that  know- 
ledge to  his  disciples  ?  But  they  seem  to  have  learned  no 
more  from  Jesus  than  Moses  did  from  Jehovah,  and  hence 
their  querulous  inquiry  as  to  what  would  be  their  reward. 
But  the  promise  of  judgeships,  (743-745,)  of  worldly 
preeminence,  was  a  satire  upon  them.  It  argues  that  he 
considered  them  as  worldly-minded.  Had  he  known  the 
world  to  be  looked  upon  by  the  apostles  as  beneath  con- 
sideration in  comparison  with  immortal  life,  he  would 
hardly  have  insulted  them  by  the  oifer.  But  their  tone 
has  a  great  deal  too  much  of  the  Swiss  in  it.  Had  they 
been  so  very  dull,  or  Christ  so  reserved,  that  the  idea 
was  not  conveyed  to  them  that,  in  acting  the  part  of  pious, 
virtuous  men,  they  would  have  the  reward  promised  to  the 
righteous  in  the  other  world  ? 

"  Thank  God,  no  Spirituahst  who  reads  with  attention 
the  communications  given  in  this  work,  will  ever  inquire 
as  to  the  extent  of  selfish  reward  which  he  is  to  enjoy ! 
He  would  be  impressed,  by  his  general  knowledge,  with 
the  idea  that  the  less  any  being  is  actuated  by  selfish  as- 
piration, the  greater  his  capacity  for  happiness  and  his 
pretensions  to  the  means  of  felicity," 

This  specimen  of  total  badness,  is  as  remarkable  for  its 
stupidity^  as  for  its  ignorant  arroga^ice.  Dr.  Hare  seems 
to  have  pilfered  Tom  Paine,  and  having  stolen  his  thun- 
der, hopes  to  make  it  reverberate  as  his  own.  It  is  rather 
difficult  to  say,  of  which  the  author  is  most  worthy,  pity 
or  contempt. 

The  precepts  of  Christ  are  declared  to  be  impracticable, 
and  the  whole  system  of  his  rehgion  unphilosophical,  un- 
mse,  and  a  failure ! 

"  1089.  Revelation  assumes  God  to  be  omnipotent, 
omniscient,  prescient,  and  all  good,  yet  represents  him  as 


360  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

under  the  necessity  of  subjecting  his  creatures  to  proba- 
tion, to  find  out  what,  by  the  premises,  he  must  foresee. 
It  represents  him  while  wishing  his  creatures  to  know  him 
and  his  attributes,  as  not  teaching  them  that  which  he 
wishes  them  to  learn,  yet  punishing  them  and  their  pos- 
terity for  ignorance  arising  from  his  own  omission." 

"  1099.  As  respects  the  po'ecepts  of  Christ,  those  on 
which  he  laid  most  stress  are  not  only  neglected,  but 
grossly  violated,  by  the  opposite  course  being  sanctioned 
by  the  overruling  sentiment  of  society.  Nothing  would 
subject  a  man  to  more  contempt  in  Christendom  than  a 
tame  submission  to  blows,  or  being  so  poor  as  to  wear 
patched  or  ragged  clothes.  There  are  few,  if  any,  in 
Christendom,  who  would  not  rather  have  any  deficiency 
in  attire  attributed  to  accident  or  taste,  than  to  poverty. 

"  1100.  I  have  shown  that  the  idea  which  the  Pharisees 
entertained  of  heaven,  as  portrayed  by  Josephus,  repre- 
senting the  wicked  like  the  rich  man  within  sight  of  the 
good,  would  be  a  hell  to  a  good-hearted  angel.  This  re- 
presentation is  sanctioned  by  Christ  in  his  story  of  the 
rich  man  and  Lazarus.  The  only  reward  promised  to  his 
apostles  was  worldly  preeminence  in  the  form  of  judge- 
ships. Hence  it  were  hardly  reasonable  for  those  who 
are  subordinate  m  merit  to  the  disciples  to  expect  any 
better  remuneration.  Hell  is  as  absurdly  as  horridly 
typified  by  eternal  exposure  to  interminable  fire. 

"1101.  Thus  neither  among  the  Jews,  nor  among 
Christians,  has  the  Bible  furnished  any  adequate  account 
of  a  future  state,  nor  has  it  been  productive  of  higher 
morality;  since  the  only  morality  which  does  exist,  is 
coupled  not  only  with  the  neglect^  hut  with  the  violation 
of  those  precepts  which  the  Gospel  inculcates.''''     (! ! !) 

"1111.  Now  to  me  it  seems  that  the  nominal  profession 
of  a  faith  m  facts  which  are  absurd  and  contradictory, 
and  professed  reverence  for  precepts  which  are  as  utterly 
impracticable  as  unwise  in  the  abstract,  induces  this  mon- 
strous incompatibility  of  the  actual  morality  of  Christen- 
dom with  the  professions  of  Christians  and  doctrines  of 
Christianity." 

"1129.  The  expectation  of  washing  away  sin  through 
the  merit  of   a    bigoted  belief  in   Christ,  cooperating 


with  tho  vague,  contradictory,  and  irrational  idea  of 
heaven  and  hell  recorded  in  Scripture,  seems  to  be  the 
reason  why  Christians  act  so  inconsistently  with  the  pre- 
cepts of  Him  whom  they  professedly  adore. 

"  1130.  Nothing  can  be  more  inconsistent  with  the  re- 
ligio7i  inculcated  hy  my  spirit-friends^  than  the  idea  of 
atonement  for  sin  by  faith  in  any  religion,  true  or  false. 

"1131.  Had  there  ever  been  any  available  light  let  in 
from  the  spirit-world,  this  error  had  been  denounced,  and 
having  been  thus  stamped  as  erroneous  from  on  high, 
could  not  have  acquired  or  retained  its  mischievous  hold 
of  so  many  millions  of -human  beings,  by  substituting  blind 
faith  for  genuine  vu'tue. 

"  1132.  Another  reason  why,  throughout  Christendom, 
the  vices  most  deprecated  by  Christ  are  those  preemi- 
nently prevalent,  is,  that  his  precepts  were  absolutely  im- 
practicable, unless  explained  away  in  the  style  of  Lord 
Peter  in  the  'Tale  of  a  Tub?  » 

"1198.  The  actual  morality  of  Christendom  being  the 
inverse  of  that  excessive  and  impracticable  restraint 
which  Christ  enjoined  as  the  object  of  his  mission,  must 
prove  that  his  doctrine  could  not  have  originated  with  a 
being  by  ichom  its  failure  7nust  have  been  foreseen. ''^ 

"1117.  Again,  the  precept  to  return  good  for  evil, 
would,  if  acted  up  to,  encourage  evil." 

"1113.  It  strikes  me,  from  the  considerations  presented 
under  the  head  of  Mundane  "Wealth,  that  the  precepts  of 
Christ  were  fundamentally  erroneous,  so  far  as  they  dis- 
credit and  discourage  efforts  for  the  honest  acquisition  of 
wealth.     (! !) 

"1114.  Grod  has  given  the  fowls  of  the  air  feathers  as 
a  natural  clothing,  and  thus  any  effort  to  procure  clothing 
on  their  part  is  rendered  unnecessary  ;  he  has  not  given 
them  hands  nor  intellectual  ingenuity  to  spin  and  iceave. 
On  the  other  side,  with  little  exception,  man  is  naturally 
devoid  of  clothing,  and  requires  clothes  to  protect  him 
from  the  scorching  solar  rays  or  freezing  blasts  of  winter, 
but  has  been  furnished  with  the  hands  and  the  ingenuity 
to  spin  and  weave.  Under  these  circumstances,  was  it 
reasonable  to  allege  that  man  should  be  governed  by  the 
example  of  the  feathered  creation  ?    Was  it  reasonable  to 

16 


362  A   THREE-FOLD  TEST. 

infer  that  there  should  be  no  spinning  or  weaving  by 
men,  because  there  neither  was  nor  could  be  any  perform- 
ed by  fowls  ?     (!!) 

"1115.  Again,  the  lily,  like  all  other  vegetables,  not 
only  comes  into  existence  naked,  but  remains  so,  since  it 
neither  can  nor  will  clothe  itself,  and  would  perish  if  by 
any  artificial  clothing  it  were  shut  out  from  the  influence 
of  the  solar  rays,  and  from  the  absorption  of  carbonic 
acid,  which  furnishes  the  vegetable  creation  with  the 
carbon  requisite  for  the  fibres  essential  to  stability.  Hence 
the  allegation  that  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  not  clothed 
like  the  lily,  is  irreconcilable  with  the  nature  and  actual 
state  of  this  beautiful  flower,  which  is  destitute  of  clothing 
by  nature,  and  which  would  perish  if  it  were  clothed. 
The  skin  of  vegetable  leaves,  to  a  certain  extent,  performs 
for  them  what  mouths  do  for  animals.  How  unreasonable, 
then,  to  argue  from  one  to  the  other,  that  man  should 
imitate  the  vegetable ;  or  to  compare  a  plant,  naturally 
and  of  necessity  naked,  with  a  king  gorgeously  cloth- 
ed?    (!!) 

"1116.  The  degrading  a  rich  man,  whether  honest  or 
not,  to  the  level  of  a  felon  or  murderer,  as  respects  ac- 
cessibility to  heaven,  and  of  course  favor  in  the  sight  of 
God,  is  so  erroneous,  that  there  never  was  a  precept  which 
was  less  respected  in  practice,  by  the  votaries  of  its 
Author."     (!!!) 

"  1328.  Meanwhile,  the  communications  which  I  have 
submitted  involve  the  idea  of  progression,  and  convey  in- 
finitely more  knowledge  of  futurity  than  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments  taken  together."     (!  ! !) 

"  1094.  Praise  be  to  God  that  he  has  sent  us  a  new 
way  to  religious  light,  not  associated  with  this  detestable 
immorality ! 

Thus  Christ  and  his  teachings  are  disposed  of,  before 
the  "  noble  scion  of  a  noble  man"  can  get  a  fair  sweep 
at  Moses  ;  and  now  for  harmless  fury. 

"  1091.  In  the  Bible,  God  is  represented  as  susceptible 
oi  jealousy^  of  wrath^  of  authorizing  the  butchery  of  three 
thousand  Israelites  for  worshipping  a  golden  calf;   sane- 


•;q|pnjjar59«r 


MISREPRESENTATION.  363 

tioning  the  massacre  of  the  whole  nation  of  the  Midian- 
ites,  with  the  reservation  of  the  virgins  for  violation  by 
the  bloody  murderers  of  their  kindred." 

Here  is  one  of  the  wickedest  untruths  that  malevolence 
could  invent ;  it  is  an  utter  falsification  of  the  record.  (See 
Numb.  31  ;  18.)  These  virgins,  the  Israelites  were  per- 
mitted to  keep  as  female  slaves,  while  the  existing  laws 
against  fornication  and  whoredom  were  in  full  force. 
(Deut.  21 :  10-14.) 

"  1120.  But  I  am  conscientiously  of  opinion  that  the 
respect  paid  to  Abraham,  Jacob,  Moses,  Samuel,  David, 
etc.,  by  which  one  five  hundred-millionth  of  the  blood  of 
Abraham  is  made  an  honor  to  Jesus  Christ,  is  among  the 
reasons  of  the  low  state  of  morality  among  those  who  con- 
sider the  Bible  as  the  Word  of  God,  and  are  thus  led  to 
view,  with  indulgence,  prostitution,  murder,  massacre, 
rape,  cheating,  and  fraud. "   {!  !  !) 

"  1098.  The  Old  Testament  does  not  impart  a  know- 
ledge of  immortality,  without  which  religion  were  worth- 
less. The  notions  derived  from  the  Gospel  are  vague, 
disgusting,  inaccurate,  and  difficult  to  believe. — The  Pen- 
tateuch did  not  give  the  Jews  an  idea  of  immortality,  nor 
were  those  Jews  distinguished  for  morality,  who  from 
other  sources  than  the  Pentateuch  embraced  a  belief  in 
immortality." 

This  is  contradicted  by  many  writers  on  Spiritualism, 
who  quote  largely  from  Moses,  to  show  the  frequency  of 
spirit  apparitions  and  communications  in  his  day ;  and 
the  argument  obviously  is,  that  such  were  the  abundance 
of  them,  that  immortality  was  then  as  forcibly  demon- 
strated fo  the  senses  as  it  could  be ;  and  the  labored  attempt 
at  proving  it,  would  have  been  as  foolish  as  an  attempt  to 
prove  the  existence  of  God.  In  arguing  with  the  Sad- 
ducees,  to  prove  the  doctrine  of  immortality,  Christ  drew 
his  evidence  from  the  Pentateuch.     (Mat.  22  :  32.) 


364  A    THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

"  1140.  But  wherefore  should  such  miplicit  confidence 
be  placed  in  language  alleged  to  have  been  held  by  Moses 
or  any  other  ancient  author  ?  or  should  they  be  credited, 
even  when  they  allege  God  to  have  used  such  words  as 
these,  "  Let  me  wax  hot  in  my  wrath  that  I  may  consume 
them''''  f  The  motive  for  this  imputation  against  God,  was 
that  Moses  might  take  credit  for  moderation  in  slaugh- 
tering only  three  thousand  of  God's  chosen  people  in  one 
day,  for  worshipping  a  golden  calf,  made  by  his  own 
brother,  afterward  made  high-priest.  Thus  the  ringleader 
being  the  brother  of  Moses,  was  loaded  with  honors, 
while  those  whom  he  led  astray  were  to  be  massacred  in 
cold  blood.  Yet  it  is  on  such  witnesses  as  this  blood- 
thirsty^ blasphemous  bigot^  that  orthodoxy  relies  for 
assuming  the  Pentateuch  to  be  the  word  of  God,  censur- 
ing, if  not  persecuting,  all  who  do  not  concur  with  it." 

According  to  the  teaching  of  these  Spirits^  the  Sabbath- 
day  is  to  be  desecrated  and  annulled. 

"  Fortunately  the  doctrines,  since  taught  by  the  spirits^ 
entirely  corroborate  the  suggestions  of  this  essay ;  so  that 
Spiritualism,  natural  religion,  and  literature,  may  here- 
after go  hand  in  hand  on  Sunday. 

"  1236.  This  now  gloomy  day  may,  through  the  happy 
united  instrumentality  suggested,  become  a  day  of  real 
intellectual  improvement,  as  well  as  of  every  species  of 
variety  of  innocent  recreation.  Yet  every  species  of  self- 
ish sensual  pleasure  will  be  avoided  and  condemned  by 
every  conscientious  believer  in  spiritual  manifestations. 

"  1237.  It  is  suggested  that  persons  opposed  to  Sabba- 
tarianism, inconsistent  with  the  early  and  long-continued 
practice  of  Christianity,  and  with  the  freedom  of  conscience 
guaranteed  by  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
should  unite  to  render  Sunday  (erroneously  called  the 
Sabbath)  a  day  of  moral,  literary,  and  scientific  instruc- 
tion, for  those  who,  dissatisfied  with  the  sectarianism  of  the 
existing  places  of  worship,  pass  the  day  without  edifying 
occupation." 


MISREPKESEi^TATIOjSr.  865 

No  doubt  we  shall  soon  have  a  vigorous  effort  made  to 
abrogate  all  laws  touching  this  Christian  Institution. 

The  falsehood  and  ignorance  displayed  in  the  follow- 
ing, will  show  that  the  head  and  the  heart  of  this  apostle 
of  Spirituahsm  are  equally  in  a  pitiable  condition. 

"1277.  Christ  fully  justified  this  opinion,  when  he 
alleged  himself  to  have  come  as  a  sword,  not  as  a  viiessen- 
ger  of  peace,  and  to  set  father  and  son,  mother  and 
daughter,  etc.,  at  variance  with  each  other,  making  the 
people  of  a  man's  own  household  his  foes.  It  may  be 
said  that  he  identified  himself  with  piety  and  rectitude  ; 
so  that  it  was  for  the  virtue  of  which  he,  as  the  Son  or 
missionary  of  God,  was  the  representative,  that  he  plead; 
hut  this  pious  devotion  has  much  more  of  self  in  it  than 
people  imagine.  They  identify  God  or  Christ  with  the 
welfare  of  their  souls  and  bodies.  It  is  through  the  hope 
of  benefit  to  these  that  they  take  such  a  deep  interest  in 
God. 

"  1278.  But  is  it  not  strange  that  the  Christian  religion 
should  be  treated  as  a  harbinger  of  peace  and  harmony 
when,  with  its  entrance  into  the  world,  came  the  intoler- 
ance, before  confined  to  Judea,  and  when  by  its  founder 
it  is  represented  as  a  sword,  to  sever  the  dearest  ties  by 
introducing  the  poisoning  idea  that  belief  could  be  a 
virtue  or  a  sin  ?  It  seems  to  have  been  the  cause  of  a 
peculiar  animosity  which  has  always  accompanied  its  pro- 
gress, if  not  its  endurance,  and  which  set  the  example  to 
Mohammed  of  attaching  the  same  fanatical  idea  to  an- 
other basis,  comporting  with  his  individual  aggrandize- 
ment, at  the  expense  of  much  human  misery. 

"1279.  The  language  of  Christ  held  to  his  apostles, 
showing  that  he  considered  them  as  thirsting  for  temporal 
honors,  and  his  aspiration  for  the  throne  of  his  glory, 
situated,  of  course,  in  the  same  mundane  region,  may 
warrant  the  surmise  that  his  views  did  not  differ  from 
those  of  Mohammed  as  to  the  ultimate  object,  however 
much  he  may  have  found  it  necessary,  under  the  Roman 
despotism,  to  fight  with  the  tongue  instead  of  the 
sword. 


366  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

"1280.  But  how  can  this  sentiment  be  justified  in  which 
he  makes  devotion  to  himself  irreconcilable  with  the  holy 
ties  between  the  child  and  his  parents,  or  the  parents  and 
their  children?  The  God  of  SpirituaHsm  would  view 
parental  and  filial  love  as  the  truest  piety.  He  asks  only 
that  love.  He  has  not  constituted  us  to  have  that  sort  of 
love  for  him.  Had  he  wished  it,  he  would  have  made  us 
so,  as  to  be  thus  actuated. 

"1281.  'He  that  believeth  in  me  shall  have  eternal 
life.'  '  Thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole.'  These  allega- 
tions produced  a  change  in  the  world  at  large.  That 
bigotry  and  animosity  which  led  the  Jews  to  consider 
that  all  who  did  not  agree  with  them  in  creed,  were  ob- 
jects of  spoliation,  massacre,  rape,  enslavement,  were  now 
extended  to  other  parts  of  the  world." 

"1387.  But  among  the  calumnies  to  which  I  have  al- 
luded, are  those  which  represent  the  human  heart  as  in- 
nately wicked,  and  only  to  be  corrected  by  religious  re- 
generation. All  the  souls  created  since  Adam  ate  the 
apple,  must  be  born  anew,  thus  drawing  a  marked  dis- 
tinction between  those  who  have  gone  through  this  second 
birth,  and  such  as  myself,  who  have  not  undergone  this 
recuperative  process.  But  what  man  of  common-sense 
draws  a  line  between  those  who  are  thought  to  have  been 
born  over  again,  and  those  who  have  not  ?  The  great 
majority  of  those  who  call  themselves  Christians,  do  not 
put  any  more  trust  in  one  who  has  gone  through  this 
second  birth,  than  in  one  who  is  not  deemed  to  have  been 
thus  regenerated." 

"1285.  But  the  spiritual  manifestations,  and  the  intel- 
lectual, the  heart-felt  intercommunion  with  my  relatives, 
friends,  and  the  immortal,  great,  and  good  "Washington, 
now  enable  me  to  assert  that  there  is  not^  nor  can  he  upon 
any  record  of  th£,  past,  any  evidence  so  complete  as  that 
presented  to  my  senses,  concurrently  with  a  multitude  of 
observers.  I  now,  therefore,  feel  myself  warranted  to 
speak  out  what  my  reason  justifies  and  my  conscience  dic^ 
tates ;  and  have  not  hesitated  to  express  the  opinions 
which  are  spread  out  upon  the  pages  immediately  pre- 
ceding that  which  contains  this  exposition."  (! !  I) 


MISKEPEESENTATION.  367 

Dr.  Hare  has  written  sixty-six  octavo  pages  on  "  the 
influence  of  Scripture  on  the  morals  of  Christians,"  full 
of  gross  blasphemy,  impiety,  base  insinuations,  and  abuse ; 
and  all  this,  according  to  the  last  quotation,  he  feels 
"  warranted  to  speak  out,"  by  the  promptings  of  "his  im- 
mortal advisers,"  including  the  "  great  and  good  Wash- 
ington," who,  be  it  remembered,  was  a  Bible  Christ- 
ian. 

It  is  a  pity  that  this  "  member  of  various  learned  so- 
cieties," forgot  to  record  another  saying  of  Christ: 
"Those  things  which  proceed  out  of  the  mouth  come 
forth  from  the  heart,  and  they  defile  the  man."  But  per- 
haps the  omission  was  designed,  as  an  unfavorable  in- 
ference against  himself  might  have  been  suggested. 

The  question  now  may  fairly  be  asked :  Who  is  this 
paragon  of  virtue,  that  the  spirits  have  chosen  and  auth- 
orized to  utter  such  calumnies  against  God  and  man? 
Dear  reader,  according  to  his  own  account,  a  Duellist, 
who  either  did,  or  would  have  imbrued  his  hands  in  hu- 
man blood !     Here  is  the  evidence. 

"  884.  Again,  I  wish  the  circumstance  I  am  about  to 
mention  to  be  explained  by  psychology  :  I  was  sitting  in 
my  solitary  third-story  room  at  Cape  Island,  invoking 
my  sister,  as  usual,  when  to  my  surprise  I  saw  Cadwal- 
lader  spelt  out  on  my  disk.  'My  old  friend.  Gen- 
eral Cadwallader ?'  said  I.  'Yes.'  A  communica- 
tion ensued  of  much  interest.  But  before  conclud- 
ing, I  requested  him,  as  a  test,  to  give  me  the  name 
of  a  person  whom  I  met  in  an  affair  of  honor  more  than 
fifty  years  ago^  when  he  {General  Gadwallader)  was  my 
second.  The  name  was  forthwith  given,  by  the  pointing 
out  on  the  disk  the  letters  requisite  to  spell  it."  (P.  171.) 

This  is  our  lecturer  on  the  "  Influences  of  the  Scriptures 
on  the  morals  of  Christians"  ! !     The  quotations  we  have 


368  A   THBEE-IOLD   TEST. 

made,  prove  him  to  have  "progressed"  some.  Now, 
if  the  spirit  of  a  man  may  be  ascertained  by  that  which 
comes  through  his  mouth  from  his  heart,  and  if 
"  malice  aforethought"  in  law,  is  esteemed  the  core  of  a 
capital  crime,  then  it  will  be  seen  that  our  apostle  has 
somewhat  "  progressed"  since  the  "  affair  of  honor."  The 
spirits,  we  opine,  have  unwittingly  let  out  their  own 
character  by  their  choice  of  Mediumship  in  this  instance. 

In  his  chapter  on  the  "Moral  Influence  of  Spiritualism," 
after  disgorging  upon  Christianity,  he  obtains  relief  in 
this  culminating  paragraph : 

"  737.  Spiritualism  has  the  merit  preeminently  not 
only  of  furnishing  a  knowledge  of  immortality  beyond  the 
grave,  but  a  precise  knowledge  of  the  spirit-world  in 
lieu  of  the  silence  of  the  Pentateuch,  and  the  vagueness 
and  inconsistency  of  the  Gospel." 

Our  author  is  a  livmg  commentary  upon  this  part  of 
his  work.  He  has  tried  hard  to  brain  Christianity,  but 
has  only  mauled  the  head  of  poor  Lindley  Murray.  The 
bitterness  of  his  talk  is  an  unfortunate  (may-be,  fortunate) 
exposition  of  the  character  of  his  "familiar  spirits."  "We 
think  all  considerate  men  will  accept  this  as  a  test,  far 
more  certain  for  discovery,  than  his  "  spiritoscope"  for  the 
proof  of  the  goodness  of  his  "immortal  advisers." 

Mr.  Capron  says  in  a  quotation,  p.  308 :  "  The  revela- 
tions through  the  mediums  vary  somewhat,  yet  all  are 
of  a  radical  character.  They  teach  the  overthrow  of 
existing  church  organizations,  and  say  that  vital  changes 
must  he  made  in  the  social  and  commercial  worlds 

Oracle  Davis  says,  (Free  Thoughts,  p.  15  :)  "  We  mean 
to  drive  the  plough-share  deep  into  the  soil  of  popular 
theology  and  into  the  origin  of  those  texts  which  priests 
hurl  at  the  movements  of  every  true  reformer." 


THE   DESIGX    OF   SPIKITUALISM.  869 

The  harmony,  unity,  sympathy,  and  participation  of 
the  same  spirit,  upon  which,  in  all  "  communications," 
there  is  so  much  hortatory  matter,  are  the  supposed 
qualities  necessary  to  give  completeness  of  effect  to  a 
vigorous  warfare.  Their  doctrines,  practices,  aims,  and 
end  we  have  laid  bare.  They  mean  to  combine  their  own, 
v»4th  the  agency  of  spirits,  to  subvert  Christianity.  They 
mean  to  destroy,  if  possible,  the  Church.  They  mean  to 
subvert  the  influence  of  the  Bible.  They  mean  to  inaugur- 
ate the  vile  sentiments  of  Tom  Paine,  his  compeers  and 
pilferers,  as  the  only  true  principles  compatible  with  the 
"  rights  of  man."  They  mean  to  effect  radical  changes 
in  the  social  and  com'mercial  icorld. 

Fourierism  and  free-love  will  accomplish  in  the  social 
system  what  the  "  doctrines  of  demons"  will  do  in  the 
religious^  and  thus  revolution  is  to  upheave  the  very 
foundation  of  the  existing  order  of  things ! 

A  correspondent  of  the  New-England  Spiritualist, 
writing  from  Albion,  Mich,  May  5,  1855,  says ; 

"  Our  cause  has  prospered  finely  in  this  place  for  the 
last  year.  We  now  have  regular  preaching  through  Mrs. 
Sprague,  of  BeUevue,  twice  on  Sundays  and  once  on 
Thursday  evening  of  each  week.  Our  numbers  have  in- 
creased within  the  last  year  from  about  a  dozen  to  from 
three  to  five  hundred  believers,  and  the  ranks  are  swell- 
ing daily.  We  now  have  most  of  the  different  phases  of 
the  phenomena.  Mediums  are  increasing  in  numbers  and 
improving  in  development  all  around  us.  We  have  had 
a  strong  opposition  from  the  churches  (as  a  matter  of 
course)  and  their  hold  has  been  strong  on  the  public  mind 
till  within  a  short  time  past.  It  has  recently  very  much 
diminished.  The  Methodist  State  Theological  Seminary 
is  located  in  this  place,  with  its  dozen  ministers  and  more 
in  making.  But  their  ranks  are  weakening.  Several  of 
their  strongest  supporters  have  bolted  and  come  over  to 
the  SpirituaUst  ranks,  and  many  more  wavering  and  in- 

16* 


370  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

quiring  the  way.  I  would  state  as  a  proof  of  progress, 
that  the  Baptist  and  Episcopal  churches  are  closed  for 
want  of  a  support ;  and  a  few  weeks  since  the  Presbyterian 
minister  had  a  sudden  call  to  leave,  on  two  weeks'  notice, 
and  remove  to  Connecticut,  and  the  society  are  left  to 
the  mercy  of  the  elements,  with  their  house  also  closed — 
probably  no  more  to  be  opened  as  an  orthodox  church. 
The  Methodists  have  been  straining  every  nerve  to  sus- 
tain themselves,  but  their  minister  was  heard  to  tell  one 
of  his  members  that  if  the  Spiritualists'  meetings  were 
kept  up  in  the  Hall,  by  that  woman^  three  months  longer, 
they  would  have  to  close  up  their  church  for  want  of 
hearers  !  This  last  winter  they  had  a  protracted  meeting 
for  about  a  week,  every  night.  When  the  evening  came 
for  Mrs.  Sprague  to  speak  in  the  Hall,  it  was  crowded  to 
overflowing,  and  many  went  away  for  want  of  room  to 
stand.  Some  of  them  went  over  to  the  protracted  meet- 
ing at  the  Methodist  house,  and  on  their  arrival  there 
found  only  fourtee7i  besides  the  minister,  who  was  trying 
to  rally  them  to  battle  against  the  common  enemy.  *  * 
Light  is  springing  up,  and  the  dark  forms  of  formal  wor- 
ship are  fast  passing  away.  Many  minds  that  have  hired 
their  thinking  done  for  them,  are  now  trying  to  reason 
for  the  first  time  for  themselves;  hence  their  progres- 
sion. 

"  Yours  for  the  promulgation  of  the  Harmonial  Philo- 
sophy. Elmer  Woodeuff." 

A  correspondent  to  the  Telegraphy  when  writing  an 
account  of  a  pic-nic  near  Boston  in  1854,  says:  "The 
second  speaker  was  J.  S.  Loveland,  who  at  present  pre- 
sides over  the  Charlestown  Society  as  a  speaker.  Mr.  L. 
was  formerly  a  Methodist  Episcopal  clergyman  of  good 
standing,  but  having  had  his  eyes  open  to  the  glorious 
truths  of  modern  Spiritualism,  he  at  once  buckled  on  his 
armor  and  came  out  boldly  into  the  great  hattle-jield  of 
progress  to  fight  the  hosts  of  old  theology:'' 

Mr.  Davis,  in  his  "  Review  of  Bushnell,"  holds  the  fol- 
lowing language : 


i 


THE  DESIGN   OF   SPIRITUALISat.  371 

"  The  thunders  of  a  stupendous  reformation  are  soon 
to  issue  from  the  now  open  mouth  of  the  Protestant 
Church.  The  supernatural  faith."  that  is,  a  behef  in  the 
authenticity  of  the  Scriptures,  "  will  be  shaken,  as  a  reed 
in  the  tempest.  New  channels  will  be  formed  for  the  in- 
flowing of  new  truths,  and  then  a  long-promised  era  will 
.steal  upon  the  religious  and  political  world.  You  may- 
be assured  of  the  truth  of  this  approaching  crisis.  The 
world  must  recognize  it,  because  it  will  be  accompanied 
with  war  ;  for  politics  are  inseparably  connected  all  over 
the  world,  with  religious  systems.  Religion  will  develop 
reason ;  but  politics  will  impel  the  masses  to  unsheathe  the 
sword^  and  to  stain  the  bosom  of  nature  with  blood/ 
Friends  of  progress,  be  not  discouraged,  for  the  Final 
Crisis  must  come  ;  then  the  strange  interregnum.  Pro- 
testantism as  now  constructed  will  first  decay ;  because  it 
is  to  be  divided  into  two  —  the  smallest  party  will 
go  back  into  Catholicism ;  the  other  will  go  forward 
into  rationaUsm.  And  then,  after  a  succession  of 
eventful  years,  a  pohtical  revolution  will  hurl  the  Catho- 
lic superstructure  to  the  earth,  and  the  pristme  bow  of 
promise  will  span  the  heavens.  The  children  of  earth  will 
then  be  comparatively  free  and  happy !  for  the  millennial 
epoch  will  have  arrived ;  and  there  will  be  something 
like  a  realization  of  peace  on  earth  and  good-will  toward 
men." 

Let  it  be  remembered,  these  sentiments  are  expressed 
by  the  promptings  of  the  Spirits,  and  this  threatened  war- 
fare which  is  to  desolate  the  land  until  Protestantism  and 
Christianity  in  every  outward  form  is  extirpated,  is  de- 
clared to  be  certain  by  /Spirits,  who  exhort  their  votaries 
not  to  be  discouraged,  for  this  "Final  Crisis  must 
come." 

Thus  the  elements  of  war  are  gathering,  and  the  host 
of  Spiritualists  are  preparing  by  the  drillmg  of  devils,  to 
be  the  active  soldiery  in  plunging  their  country  into  the 
horrors  of  a  bloody  conflict. 


372  A    THKEE-FOLD    TEST. 

What  are  we  to  think  of  this  ?  How  should  we  regard 
men  who  can  commit  themselves  to  a  system  encourag- 
ing treason,  persecution,  and  anarchy  ? 

Thus  we  are  given  to  understand  that  war  is  proclaimed 
upon  every  institution,  religious  and  civil,  with  which  we 
are  accustomed  to  associate  our  ideas  of  all  that  is  valuable 
to  humanity.  This  avowed  design  we  hold  to  be,  to  the 
intuition  of  every  reasonable  man,  as  diabolical  in  its  con- 
ception as  it  would  be  in  its  execution.  It  bears  upon  the 
face  of  it  the  impress  of  all  evil.  The  monstrous  issues 
involved  are  so  transparently  damnable,  that  modern 
Spiritualism  could  not  have  met  with  such  extensive  favor 
without  the  agency  of  the  Devil,  who  "  goeth  about  as  a 
roaring  lion,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour."  Men  are 
depraved  enough,  without  restraining  grace,  to  accomplish 
vast  evil  in  every  walk  of  life  ;  but  bad  as  they  may  bo 
in  and  of  themselves,  we  do  not  think  that  the  idea  of 
associating  themselves  with  spirits  for  such  extensive 
operations  could  have  originated  in  a  human  brain.  It 
came  from  hell ;  it  could  come  from  no  other  place.  We 
defy  any  man  to  think  of  any  possible  evil  that  may  not 
grow  out  of  this  movement,  provided  it  be  successful.  An 
extensive  course  of  reading,  large  samples  of  which  we 
have  given  to  justify  our  opinion,  has  convinced  us  that 
the  inevitable  necessary  results  of  the  prevalence  of  this 
system,  if  realized,  would  be  perdition  to  our  race  in  this 
world,  as  well  as  in  that  which  is  to  come.  The  origin- 
ality of  the  plan,  moreover,  is  so  entirely  beyond  what 
human  intellect  would  naturally  contrive,  that  it  bears 
with  it  the  evidence  of  its  extra-mundane  source.  We 
believe  the  primary  movers  to  be  the  Devil  aisd  his 

ANGELS. 

Far  be  it  from  us  to  denounce  those  engaged  in  this 
horrible  cause  as  "sinners  aliove  others."    They  are  not. 


STllENGTH    OF    THE    DELUSION.  373 

We  find  associated  with  it,  men  and  women  whose  repu- 
tation, influence,  and  social  worth,  have  long  entitled  them 
to  respect  as  good  citizens.  But  they  have  been  grossly 
deceived ;  and  their  selection  for  this  work  is  in  keeping 
with  the  known  craft  of  the  Devil.  He  never  chooses  incom. 
petent  agents,  and  in  order  to  avail  himself  of  their  services, 
he  must  contrive  to  deceive  them.  And  what  plan  so  effect- 
ual as  that  in  which  his  spirit  agents  should  *'  steal  the 
livery  of  heaven,"  and,  with  the  language  of  sweet  affection, 
personating  departed  friends,  give  such  astonishing  small 
tests  as  should  beguile  them  ?  We  do  not  believe  that 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  now  deeply  in  this  business,  would 
suffer  their  names  to  be  emblazoned  to  the  world,  as  its 
advocates,  did  they  believe  a  tithe  of  our  representations. 
Hence  we  have  been  careful  to  give  copious  proof  from 
what  the  spirits  actually  say  and  do,  in  justification  of  our 
language,  which  otherwise  would  have  seemed  unwar- 
rantably strong.  And  here  let  it  be  observed,  that  we 
have  not  taken  the  language  of  "low,  unprogressed 
spirits,"  but  have  confined  ourselves  to  the  "  revelations" 
of  such  as  have  been  accepted  as  belonging  to  the  higher 
spheres.  These  persons  have  seen  and  been  conversant 
with  the  wonders  they  relate.  They  are  not  deceivers  in 
this  respect.  So  wide-spread,  in  our  own  country  and  in 
Europe,  have  been  these  manifestations,  that  the  idea  of 
collusion  is  simply  absurd.  They  are  earnest  and  ener- 
getic in  their  assertions  and  belief.  They  are  honest  in 
their  relation  of  such  facts  and  language  as  they  rightfully 
attribute  to  evil  spirits.  They  do  not  mean  to  deceive 
their  fellow-men.  They  admit  that  there  are  deceivers 
among  them,  whose  impostures  they  denounce  as  readily 
as  the  best  can  do.  But  all  this  only  helps  on  the  mis- 
chief; for  who  does  not  see  that  the  occasional  manifesta- 
tion of  diabolism  is  necessary  to  the  success  of  the  gen- 
eral imposture  ? 


374  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

Persuaded  that  they  are  able  to  detect  evil  spirits,  they 
are  confirmed  in  the  belief  of,  and  surrender  themselves 
to  the  guidance  of  "  guardian  angels,"  who  say  any  quan- 
tity of  pretty  and  taking  things,  and  moreover  accom- 
plish some  small  matters  of  momentary  good,  and  some 
things  that  will  impress  mortals  with  the  idea  of  their 
benevolent  nature,  so  as  to  fasten  their  victims  more 
securely  in  infernal  snares.  All  this  is  perfectly  compati- 
ble with  devilish  agency,  and  very  necessary  to  its  suc- 
cess. There  is  nothing  which  Satan  wishes  more  to  im- 
press upon  the  human  mind  than  the  belief  of  his  own 
nonentity.  He  is  well  pleased  with  the  utmost  ridicule 
that  can  be  heaped  upon  the  idea  of  a  personal  Devil.  It 
is  necessary  to  his  complete  success. 

This  war  proclaimed  upon  Christianity,  we  presume, 
will  be  carried  on.  In  the  case  of  Mormonism,  we  have 
seen  what  has  grown  out  of  pure  absurdity.  Therefore 
we  have  no  assurance  against  a  worse  evil,  in  the  good  sense 
of  men,  when  they  suffer  themselves  to  be  rifled  of  it  by  a 
system  like  this.  We  are  only  anxious  to  uncover  the 
enemy,  and  unmask  his  batteries.  The  forewarned  will, 
we  trust,  be  forearmed. 


CHAPTER  X. 

AN  ADDRESS   TO   EECEEANT   CHRISTIANS. 

Gentlemen  Spiritualists  :  Having  deliberately  abjur- 
ed Christianity  and  fellowship  with  its  adherents,  you 
would  not  probably  esteem  it  a  compliment  were  we  to 
salute  you  by  the  usual  term  of  fraternal  address,  com- 
mon among  your  former  associates.  To  avoid  offense, 
we  therefore  address  you  by  the  distinctive  name  you 
have  adopted  in  your  choice  of  a  new  religion  whose 
nature  and  claims  we  have  been  at  some  pains  to  investi- 
gate. 

Your  former  connection  with  Christianity,  and  our 
own  experience  and  honest  convictions  recorded  in  the 
previous  pages,  we  think  will  justify  us  in  the  use  of  a 
few  parting  words  of  truth  and  soberness,  designed  for 
you,  in  the  hope  that  you  will  consent  to  review  the 
ground  you  have  trodden  in  your  exodus  to  the  promised 
land  of  Spiritualism.  The  writer  belongs  to  a  class,  with 
whose  motives,  design,  and  general  character,  your 
authors  are  accustomed  to  deal  very  rudely.  He  men- 
tions this,  not  as  a  reason  for  retaliation,  but  as  a  consider- 
ation which,  in  your  esteem,  he  thinks,  ought  to  excuse 
the  liberty  he  takes  to  speak  plainly,  on  a  subject  of  im- 
measurable importance  to  all  men;  and  as  they  claim 


376  A   THKEE-FOLD   TEST. 

the  right  to  animadvert  upon  our  principles  and  practices, 
it  surely  will  not  be  considered  out  of  place  here  to  ex- 
pose the  sophistry  and  folly  of  the  belief  which  they  think 
justifies  their  course. 

It  is  a  matter  of  boast  ^vith  your  leaders,  that  a  large 
number  of  professing  Christians,  both  of  the  ministry  and 
laity,  have  abandoned  the  Church  and  are  now  rejoicing 
in  their  deliverance  from  the  bondage  of  creeds  and  con- 
fessions, and  the  reigning  power  of  popular  theology. 
We  have  no  reason  to  doubt  the  fact,  because  it  is  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  predictions  of  the  New  Testament. 
Jf  you  will  take  the  trouble  to  reopen  that  book  you  have 
cast  down  from  the  high  position  it  once  professedly  oc- 
cupied in  your  esteem,  you  will  find  it  recorded,  that  an 
extensive  falHng  away  fi-om  the  Church  of  professed  ad- 
herents, should  take  place,  by  means  of  seducing  spirits: 
see  2  Thess.  2  :  3-12  ;  1  Tun.  4  :  1 ;  2  Pet.  3  :  3  ;  1  John 
2:19;  Jude  18,  19. 

This  is  a  very  remarkable  fact,  verified  in  your 
own  history ;  and  the  recent  movement  in  which  you 
have  taken  a  conspicuous  part  is  one  of  those  fulfillments 
of  prophecy  which,  in  our  judgment,  go  far  to  vindi- 
cate the  high  claim  of  that  book  to  the  faith  of  all  reason- 
able men. 

In  our  reading,  we  have  met  with  the  names  of  many 
Uhiversalist^  and  of  some  Unitarian  ministers  who  have 
become  Spiritualists,  and  now  go  about  seeking  whom 
they  may  persuade.  But  as  these  did  not  belong  to  the 
Church  of  Christ,  any  more  than  they  do  now,  they  had 
nothing  of  any  moment  to  part  with  in  making  the 
change ;  and  can  not  in  fairness  be  claimed  as  converts 
from  our  communion.  We  have  also  met  with  the  fact 
that  several  Methodist^  and  other  clergymen  of  the  Armi- 
nian  type  of  the  Christian  faith  have  fallen  away ;  but 
wo  iiave  not  seen  an  instance  of  a  sound  Oalvi?iistic  divine 


AN   ADDRESS   TO   KECKEANT   CHRISTIANS.  377 

riven  from  his  mooring  upon  the  Rock,  and  driven  into 
this  Stygian  whirpool  which  has  been  recently  formed 
in  the  troubled  waters  of  human  opinion.  Our  limited 
observation  among  the  deluded  laity  leads  us  to  think  that 
few,  if  any  of  them,  had  entertained  Calvinistic  views  of 
divine  truth,  previous  to  their  slumping  in  the  slush  of  an 
effete  heathenism  where  our  modern  adventurers  are  now 
found  plunging,  led  on,  as  they 'think,  by  spirits  sent 
from  God  to  guide  them  into  the  right  path.  We  men- 
tion this  by  the  way  simply  to  show  the  practical  value 
of  Calvinism  in  affording  well-tried  general  principles  for 
the  protection  of  both  heart  and  life  from  those  fatal 
errors  to  which  we  have  already  referred :  but  let  that 
pass. 

We  admit  the  fact  that  "  you  are  many,"  who  have 
relinquished  your  former  faith,  and  have  adopted  in  its 
stead,  a  necromantic  system  which  is,  as  we  have  shown, 
essential  heathenism.  We  would  not  venture  this  asser- 
tion, had  we  not  first  succeeded  in  producing  a  large 
amount  of  evidence  corroborative  of  our  position — evi- 
dence with  which  the  most  of  you,  perhaps  all,  are  unac- 
quainted, and  the  previous  knowledge  of  which  would 
probably  have  caused  you  to  pause  before  assuming  the 
attitude  you  now  glory  in  before  the  world. 

We  fain  would  hope  that  the  whole  matter  will  now 
loom  up  before  you  in  a  new  aspect,  and  that  reflection 
may  lead  you  to  consider  the  danger  into  which  you 
have  been  led ;  though  we  must  confess  that  hope  to  be 
very  small,  because  the  fascination  which  has  charmed 
you  into  the  coils  of  the  serpent  is  strong  in  itself,  and 
fortified  by  that  pride  of  opinion  to  which  generous  re- 
traction is  more  repugnant  than  reputed  perseverance  in 
error ;  and  because  "  there  is  a  sin  unto  death."  Had 
you  been  seduced  into  some  false  step,  which  could  be 


378  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

shown  disastrous  to  your  happiness  and  your  earthly 
hopes,  you  would  ultimatedly  have  been  grateful  for  any 
effort  made  to  induce  you  to  correct  it.  In  the  present 
instance,  we  think,  interests  far  dearer  than  earthly  ones 
can  possibly  be,  are  in  imminent  peril ;  and  an  honest  ef- 
fort to  reveal  to  you  the  danger  we  speak  of,  should  be 
generously  treated,  and  shield  the  one  that  makes  it  from 
every  imputation  of  unworthy  motive,  and  from  the  ab- 
surd charge  of  a  bigot's  zeal. 

You  have,  no  doubt,  been  led  to  embrace  the  doctrines 
of  Spiritualism,  because  you  have  been  sorely  puzzled  by 
certain  "manifestations"  wonderful  and,  if  you  please, 
superhuman,  and  supposed  to  be  altogether  new.  Be- 
cause you  could  not  otherwise  account  for  them,  you 
have  supposed  that  the  roundabout  assertions  of  Spiritual- 
ists must  be  accepted  as  true,  attributing  them  all  to  the 
agency  of  your  departed  friends  and  other  human  spirits, 
who  by  this  newly-discovered  method  of  telegraphing 
from  their  spirit-home,  seek  to  console  us  respecting  their 
own  condition,  and  to  improve  ours,  by  emancipating  us 
from  the  shackles  of  the  Christian  faith,  and  by  animating 
us  with  the  prospect  of  supernal  gardens,  far  superior  to 
that  of  "  the  fabled  Adam  ;"  and  of  glorious  bowers  of 
ease  where  you,  and  all  others,  may  sing,  and  dance,  and 
play,  and  ride,  and  roam ;  where  your  delightful  labor 
may  be  very  sensibly  expended  in  driving  a  saw-mill^  if 
you  please,  in  the  spheres,  just  like  that  described  by  the 
Judge  ;  and  where  you  may  enjoy  refreshing  draughts  of 
ambrosial  huttermilk  from  just  such  an  ample  spiritual 
churn  as  he  saw  in  that  spiritually  comfortable  home  of 
which  he  discourseth,  where  every  thing  fitting,  is  well 
arranged  and  most  befitting  spiritual  house-keeping  ;  and 
where  all  things  are  just  as  they  are  here,  only  more  so ! 
You  have  preferred  the  poetry  of  this  intensely  imagina- 


AN  ADDRESS   TO   EECBEANT    CHRISTIANS.  379 

tive  state  of  things  in  the  future  world,  based  upon  the 
primary  ideas  of  a  gross  and  sensuous  experience  in  this, 
to  the  sober  prose  of  Gospel  fact,  of  which  we  believe  we 
can  form  no  just  conception,  for  reasons  already  given. 
All  this,  and  much  more  of  the  same  sort,  you  receive  as 
the  communications  of  good  spirits,  whom  we  have  con- 
victed of  the  grossest  absurdity,  and  whose  didactic 
teachings  are  much  worse  than  their  descriptive  "pen 
and  ink  sketches"  by  the  hands  of  your  writing  media. 

The  new  facts  of  your  chosen  "  rehgion,"  we  have 
shown  to  be  the  old  fictions  of  a  worn-out  superstition  of 
a  barbarous  age  revamped,  and  dressed  up  to  suit  the 
times ;  and  the  doctrines  taught,  we  have  shown  to  be 
the  concentrated  ehxir  of  delusion  drawn  from  various 
mythologies  of  heathen  folly.  "We  have  honestly  follow- 
ed the  direction  of  your  leaders  under  the  most  solemn 
pledge  that  we  should  gain  a  perfect  assurance  of  the 
most  consolatory  facts  and  truths  that  ever  fell  upon 
human  ears,  if  we  would  only  consent  to  investigate. 
"We  have  been  complained  of  as  unfair  and  unwise  for 
not  adopting  the  course  which  has  led  great  and  distin- 
guished men  of  all  classes  to  the  enjoyment  of  a  happi- 
ness which  gilds  tliis  life  with  the  glories  of  a  new  revela- 
tion, confirmatory  of  the  old,  and  withal  corrective  of 
many  modem  errors.  "We  have  been  challenged  in  terms 
of  the  most  vigorous  phraseology,  and  our  tardmess  to 
accept,  has  been  attributed  to  the  unworthy  motives  of 
cowardice  and  bigotry.  "We  have  satisfied  the  demand 
made.  The  results  of  our  investigation  are  now  before 
you,  and  we  hope  none  can  complain  of  our  lack  of 
thoroughness.  "We  have  consulted  and  "  tried  the  spirits," 
and  found  them  to  be  liars.  "We  have  allowed  your 
leaders  to  tell  their  own  story,  to  speak  in  copious  extract 
from  their  o^vn  books;  and  our  readers  now  know  what 


SSO  A.   THKEE-FOLD   TEST. 

Spiritualism  is,  in  all  its  capabilities  to  befool  the  intellect 
and  to  destroy  the  soul.  I>[ow  let  us  reason  upon  the 
matter. 

You  take  it  for  granted,  that  the  spiritualistic  theory 
of  the  agency  of  your  departed  friends  must  be  true,  be- 
cause it  seems  to  be  the  only  way  of  accounting  for  the 
wonderful  facts  by  which  you  have  been  confounded  in 
all  your  attempts  to  reach  an  adequate  cause,  this  side  of 
the  spirit-world.     This  is  jonrjirst  error. 

Although  we  accept  the  facts,  and  also  the  theory  of 
spirit-agency,  we  do  not  grant  that  the  true  cause  of  these 
manifestations  is  the  agency  of  your  departed  friends^ 
or  of  any  human  spirits ;  and  we  have  sho^\Ti  that  you 
can  not  prove  it ;  nay,  that  you  have  no  firm  ground  at 
all  upon  which  you  can  support  your  supposition.  For  it 
is  evident,  from  the  admissions  already  quoted,  that  the 
manifestations  through  ancient  media  of  heathen  notoriety, 
are  accepted  as  of  coordinate  authority  with  those  of 
your  modem  movement ;  and  of  course,  ancient  authors, 
who  have  recorded  more  wonderful  things  than  any  that 
you  can  boast  of,  and  have  pursued  the  subject  to  a  greater 
extent,  and  for  a  much  longer  time,  and  with  greater  ad- 
vantages than  your  authors  can  pretend  to,  must  also  be 
accepted  as  faithful  scribes,  and  profound  philosophers, 
and  authoritative  sources,  whence  we  may  derive  facts  and 
statements  and  doctrines,  as  true  and  as  useful  as  any  or 
all  of  the  contents  of  all  the  books  of  all  the  authors  on 
Modern  Spiritualism.  Take,  for  instance.  Porphyry ;  a 
man  of  irreproachable  life  according  to  the  moral  standard 
of  his  day.  He  says,  that  "  there  are  some  who  suppose, 
that  there  is  a  certain  obedient  genus  of  demons,  which 
is  naturally  fraudulent,  omniform,  and  various,  and  which 
assumes  the  appearance  of  the  gods  and  demons,  and  the 
souls  of  the  deceased;  and  that  through  these,  every  thing 


AN    ADDRESS   TO    RECEEANl^   CHRISTIANS.  381 

lohich  appears  to  he  either  good  or  evil  is  affected^  Now 
consider  the  answer  to  this,  by  the  "  divine  lamblichus," 
whose  heathen  piety  and  acknowledged  learning  secured 
for  him  the  respect  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived.  He 
admits  the  fact,  but  contends  that  the  difference  between 
good  and  bad  spirits,  is  discoverable  by  the  difference  of 
the  light  by  which  they  were  surrounded !  He  admits  the 
existence  and  operation  of"  evil  demons,  who  assume  the 
appearance  of  gods  and  good  demons,  an  abundant  evil- 
producing  tribe."  "  An  evil  demon  requires  that  his  wor- 
shipper should  he  just,  because  he  assumes  the  appearance 
of  one  belonging  to  the  divine  genus  ;  but  he  is  subserv- 
ient to  what  is  unjust,  because  he  is  depraved^  Add.  to 
this  the  admissions  of  your  modern  writers,  and  then  say, 
where  is  the  evidence  that  personating  evil  spirits  are  not 
the  authors  of  a  well-contrived,  and  successful  system  of 
imposture  in  which  you  are  inveigled  ?  Nothing  less  than 
7noral  certainty  here,  will  do  ;  but  by  their  own  showing. 
Spiritualists  can  not  prove  that  they  are  not  deceived. 
In  such  a  position,  what  consequents  may  ensue  of  an  evil 
nature  to  you,  in  the  future  v/orld,  none  can  know.  In- 
deed, it  may  be  a  fearful  fact,  that  you  shall  hear  the 
very  words  that  Christ  says  shall  be  addressed  to  the 
wicked — "Depart,  ye  cursed, into  everlasting  fire  prepared 
for  the  Devil  and  his  angels."  Your  terrible  uncertainty 
must,  in  all  reason,  prevent  the  derisive  smile,  for  at  the 
worst,  you  will  admit  Christ  to  have  been  incapable  of 
deception.  Here  we  shall  be  reminded  that  you  deny  the 
existence  of  the  devil  and  his  angels,  and  of  hell,  upon  the 
authority  of  spirits ;  but  do  you  not  see  that  your  denial 
amounts  to  nothing  ?  And  why  ?  Because  you  admit 
the  existence  and  agency  of  evil  spirits ;  because  such 
s^ivii^  p)ersonate  the  souls  of  the  departed;  because  "it  is 
their  nature  to  lie ;"  and  therefore  they  contradict  the 


382  A   THEEE-FOLD  TEST; 


^* 


words  of  Christ.  You  assume  what  you  can  not  prove, 
and  that  too,  in  a  matter  of  the  most  momentous  concern. 
This  is  your  second  error. 

Now  how  do  you  know  that  these  very  evil  spirits  do 
not  assume  the  names  of  your  friends,  and  practise  upon 
your  credulity  ?  How  can  you  determine  that  they  are 
not  the  very  beings  whose  existence  they  deny,  and  whose 
good  talk  is  craftily  designed  to  obtain  your  confidence  ? 
How  do  you  know  that  the  manifestations  ascribed  to 
your  friends,  are  not  within  the  competency  of  their 
power,  and  actually  produced  by  them  for  the  very  pur- 
pose of  peopling  their  own  dark  domain  with  your  de- 
luded spirits?  Here  you  have  no  certainty  at  all,  where 
you  most  need  it.  For  if  the  facts  of  eternity  be  as  the 
Bible  describes  them,  (and  you  can  not  show  the  contra- 
ry,) as  you  confessedly  reject  the  method  of  salvation  by 
Christ,  you  can  not  but  see  that  your  epitaph  is  already 
written,  "  He  that  believeth  not,  shall  be  danmed." 
However  unwelcome,  and  i^erhaps  ofiensive,  you  can  not 
evade  this ;  and  certainly  honesty  with  your  own  souls 
demands  that  you  should  not  evade,  but  meet  it  face  to 
face.  If  Christ  was  justified  in  exclaiming  upon  the  sin- 
ners of  his  day,  "  How  can  ye  escape  the  damnation  of 
hell  ?"  what  would  he  have  said  to  those  who  embrace 
such  a  horrible  system  as  Modern  Spiritualism  is  proved 
to  be  in  the  foregoing  pages  ?  Now  do  not  think  to 
elude  the  subject  by  retorting :  "  Where  is  your  certainty 
of  salvation  ?"  "We  stand  on  difierent  grounds.  If  the 
Bible  be  false,  and  the  Devil  a  myth,  and  hell  a  fable,  we 
shall  not  be  the  worse  off  for  our  belief  in  the  atonement 
of  Christ,  according  to  authority;  but  shall  progress  in 
the  spheres  as  well,  as  fast,  and  as  far  as  you ;  but  if 
Spiritualism  be  a  delusion,  and  Christ  be  true,  then  your 
unending  portion  is  "  weeping  and  wailing,  and  gnashing 


AN   ADDEESS   TO   EECEEANT   CnEISTIANS.  383 

of  teeth,"  in  a  torment  whose  "  smoke  ascendeth  for  ever 
and  ever."  This  descriptive  phraseology  sufficiently  por- 
trays a  horrible  fact  to  be  realized  in  your  future  history. 
Kow  do  not  mistake  ;  we  do  not  denounce,  nor  anathe- 
matize ;  we  only  make  the  naked  statements  of  revealed 
facts  hypothetically  laid  down,  just  to  shoAV  the  absolute 
necessity  of  an  absolute  certainty  on  your  part,  of  the 
truthfulness  of  the  spirits,  to  whose  guidance  you  have 
committed  your  souls.  The  words  of  the  Saviour  are  not 
our  words,  the  character  of  desj)isers  and  rejecters  of  the 
Gospel  we  have  not  drawn,  the  award  of  rejection  from 
God  we  have  not  made.  We  simply  submit  what  must 
be  fearful  fact,  upon  the  supposition  that  Christ  was  no 
impostor,  but  spoke  the  truth.  You  once  professed  to 
believe  this,  you  now  cast  it  away  as  the  delusions  of 
"  popular  theology."  We  show  you  your  safety  in  the 
faith  of  Christ,  even  admitting  that  to  be  a  delusion ;  and 
we  show  you  your  awful  danger  in  the  system  of  Spirit- 
ualism, admitting  that  to  be  a  delusion ;  and  the  proba- 
bilities of  the  latter  are  as  a  million  to  one.  You  mil 
doubtless  be  instructed  to  put  down  all  our  impertinent 
words  to  the  detestable  canting  of  a  ^Driest,  who  one  day 
must  pour  out  spiritual  sweat  for  this,  on  the  Judge's  black 
sand  plane ;  but  common  sense  will  secretly  tell  you,  for 
all  that — "  Better  inquire  about  this  matter  of  certainty.''^ 
Who  could  stand  the  derision  of  devils,  for  being  such  a 
fool  as  to  swallow  an  undiluted  lie  ? 

Now  we  fancy,  that  no  additional  evidence  could  aug- 
ment the  certainty  of  the  conclusion  to  which  we  have 
come  in  this  matter.  We  have  let  Spirituahsts  state  their 
own  facts  and  doctrines,  visions,  wonders,  and  works  in 
their  own  language ;  and  we  have  shown  that  if  the  De- 
vil and  all  his  legions  should  resolve  their  infernal  con- 
plavQ  into  a  committee  of  the  whole,  to  combine  all  their 


384  A   THREE-FOLD   TES'1\  •'-*^/ 

powers  of  thought  and  pandemonic  skill  to  contrive  the 
subtlest  scheme  by  which  to  beguile  mankind,  they  could 
do  nothing  more,  and  would  do  nothing  less  than  imitate 
the  mode  which  God  adopted  to  reveal  his  will  to  men. 
Necroraancy^  from  first  to  last,  has  been  their  trusty  de- 
lusion ;  and  in  trusting  to  that,  you  are  led  captive  by  Sa- 
tan at  his  will.  We,  having  been  challenged,  may  cer- 
tainly now  challenge  you  to  show  the  contrary ;  reminding 
you,  with  your  permission,  that  it  will  not  do  to  take  for 
granted  the  thing  to  be  proved.  You  admit  that  there 
are  evil  spirits.  "We  assert,  upon  the  best  of  authority, 
that  they  2:>ersonate  the  good ;  and  we  have  convicted 
those  accepted  as  good,  of  contradictions  and  absurdities 
of  which  they  could  not  be  guilty,  were  they  truly  the 
spirits  they  claim  to  be.  Dr.  Hare,  as  we  have  shown, 
sends  us  to  Judge  Edmonds's  work  on  Spiritualism,  for 
the  loftiest  communications  to  be  found ;  yet  he  says: 

"  Whatever  want  of  ability  may  be  sho'v^ai,  by  Dr. 
Bell,  to  exist  in  the  communications  alleged  to  come  from 
Paine,  Swedenborg,  and  Bacon,  or  from  spirits  personat- 
ing those  distinguished  men,  it  can  not  do  away  the  valu- 
able information  which  I  have  obtained  from  my  spirit- 
father  and  others,  sanctioned  by  a  convocation  of  spirits. 
It  has  been  shown  that  in  a  few  pages  of  that  communica- 
tion, there  is  vastly  more  knowledge  of  our  happy  pros- 
pects in  the  future  world,  than  all  that  can  be  found  in 
the  Scriptures."     {Spiritualism  Dem.,  p  169.) 

This  certainly  is  very  cool.  You  may  search  his  book 
and  you  will  not  find  a  single  test  applied  to  ascertain 
whether  his  father  and  this  convocation  of  good  spirits 
were  personated  or  not.  He  seems  so  delighted  with  the 
great  commission  of  his  apostleship,  given  by  Washington 
and  other  great  men,  that  his  strong  emotions  make  him 


AN    ADDRESS   TO    IIECIIEANT    CHJIISTIAXS.  385 

melt  away  entirely,  and  he  seems  never  to  have  thought 
that  one  who  is  so  mighty  in  confounding  Christians,  and 
showing  off  the  fallacies  of  the  Scriptures,  stood  in  any 
danger  of  being  himself  made  the  game  of  personating 
spirits. 

The  follomng  is  a  most  ludicrous  specimen  of  pathos 
and  egotism : 

"  In  this,  my  first  interview,"  (with  Washington,)  "  I 
premised  that  I  wished  to  let  him  know  that  I  had  al- 
ways been  one  of  his  most  devoted  political  advocates, 
having  always  styled  myself  a  Washington  Federalist, 
and  that  I  had  as  early  as  1812  embodied  my  sentiments 
in  some  verses.  He  said  he  was  aware  that  such  verses 
were  written  by  me,  but  would  Avish  me  to  repeat  them. 
I  obeyed  his  request." 

Then  comes  the  veriest  prose  done  in  rhyme,  the  last 
three  verses  of  which  we  give.  It  is  followed  by  spirit- 
ual emotional  tenderness,  too  great  for  laughter  to  mth- 
stand : 

"  Best  and  wisest  of  men !  when  counselled  by  thee, 
Could  thy  people  their  treasure  withold  ? 
"When  ruled  hy  another,  then  could  they  agree 
To  lavish  their  millions  untold  ? 

"  By  Genet  insulted,  by  slander  aggrieved, 
If  thy  wrongs  unrevenged  could  remain, 
For  denouncing  the  men  whom  false  he  believed, 
By  a  mob  could  thy  Lingan  be  slain  ? 

"  Can  the  voice  of  the  country  for  whom  he  had  bled, 
E'er  sanction  a  murder  so  base, 
Or  the  tear-drops  of  millions  piously  shed, 
The  deep  stain  from  our  annals  efface?" 

"  As  soon  as  the  last  words  of  the  preceding  verses 
were  recited,  I  was  thrilled  by  the  following  effusion : 
^'  Mi/frie?id;  How  my  heart  swells  with  grateful  emo- 


386  A   THEEE-FOLD  TEST. 

tion,  at  hearing  that  beautiful  effusion  from  your  lips ! 
Yes,  my  friend,  I  strove  while  on  earth,  to  carry  out  the 
impressions  which  were  made  on  my  mind  by  superior  in- 
telligences, and  if  I  failed,  my  countrymen  will  bear  tes- 
timony. 

"  Your  noble  father  is  a  friend  of  mine,  and  I  feel  a 
love  for  you  commensurate  with  his  worth.  He  is  fore- 
most in  the  ranks  of  spiritual  intelligences,  and  ready  to 
act  when  duty  calls. 

"  My  friend,  I  sympathize  with  you  in  your  arduous 
undertaking;  but  let  me  assure  you  that  your  reward 
will  be  greater  than  the  suffering  you  have  endured. 
Yes,  most  nobly  you  have  fought  against  error  ;  and  you 
^vill  yet  place  the  banner  of  freedom  high  upon  the  battle- 
ment of  truth.    Farewell,  noble  scion  of  a  noble  man! 

"Geo.  Washington." 

Having  read  this  "  effusion,"  the  author,  being  an  ^m- 
pressional  medium^  it  was  given  to  him,  as  Media  would 
say,  to  intone  this  utterance,  staccato^  as  musicians  would 
say. 

"  Ugh !  Is  it  possible,  that  you,  '  Robert  Hare,  M.D., 
Emeritus  Professor  of  Chemistry,  Graduate  of  Yale  Col- 
lege and  Harvard  University,  Associate  of  the  Smithson- 
ian Institute,  and  member  of  various  learned  Societies ' — 
is  it  possible  that  you  could  so  completely  absorb  and  de- 
liquesce, without  having  first  applied  some  sort  of  a  re- 
spectable test  to  prove  the  identity  of  Washington ! " 
That  such  an  utterance  was  natural  from  an  impressional 
medium,  is  quite  evident. 

No  body  can  believe  that  Washington  would  be  caught 
in  such  a  farce ;  if  this  were  his  spirit  he  has  sadly  retro- 
gressed. But  we  should  Hke  to  know,  if  Bacon  and  Swe- 
denborg  may  have  been  personated,  why  not  the  spirit 
of  the  Doctor's  father  ?  As  to  the  "  valuable  informa- 
tion," it  has  no  more  claim  to  our  acceptance,  than  that 
received  from  the  Lord  and  the  Baron.    And  as  to  its 


AN  ADDEESS  TO   EECEEANT  CHEISTIANS.  3 8*7 

being  "sanctioned  by  a  convocation  of  spirits,"  we  have 
no  evidence  that  they  were  not  evil  spirits  practising  on 
the  Doctor's  credidity ;  for  not  a  single  test  was  employed, 
so  far  as  appears  from  his  book,  by  which  their  identity 
might  be  established.  "We  therefore  must  judge  of  this, 
by  what  the  spirits  say  to  the  Doctor,  and  this  internal 
evidence  is  dead  against  them.  There  is  not  a  single 
thing  uttered,  that  does  not  look  very  much  like  what  per- 
sonating demons  would  say,  on  our  theory.  They  say 
nothing  and  do  nothing  incompatible  with  it.  On  the 
other  hand  they  teach  many  things  utterly  inconsistent 
with  reason,  perfectly  heathenish  in  their  nature,  and  evi- 
dently pernicious  in  their  tendency.  And  when  we  add 
to  this,  the  assurances  of  ancients  and  moderns,  as  to  the 
deceptions  practised  by  spirits ;  the  inadequacy  of  aU  tests, 
but  that  of  the  Bible,  to  detect  them,  what  shall  we  say 
of  such,  who  are  accepted  and  relied  upon,  without  the 
ordeal  of  one  respectable  test  ? 

We  feel  ourselves  therefore  perfectly  sure  of  our 
ground,  when  we  say,  that  after  you  hav.e  thrown  the 
Bible  away,  you  have  no  means  whatever  adequate  to 
elude  deception :  and  as  you  accept  the  contents  of  the 
volumes  whence  our  quotations  are  made,  we  must  say 
that  you  are  grossly  deceived,  by  all  the  evidence  that 
can  expose  the  deception  of  spirits,  mentioned  by  lam- 
blichus  and  others,  to  the  glare  of  the  day.  Therefore 
the  burden  of  proof  is  fairly  on  you,  and  you  must  "face 
the  music,"  or  brave  the  shame. 

The  Bible,  which  your  fraternity  repudiate,  as  the  only 
rule  of  faith  and  practice,  and  which  some  of  your  writers 
blaspheme,  reveals  the  existence  and  agency  of  "  the  De- 
vil and  his  angels."  These  are  the  evil  spirits,  who  are 
equal  to  every  word  and  work  hitherto  proceeding  from 
the  agencies  of  your  movement  wherever  and  however  ex- 


388  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

erted  ;  and  as  the  spirits  are  to  be  judged  of  by  what  they 
do  and  say,  we  appeal  to  the  doctrines  they  teach,  to  the 
terrible  effects  already  produced,  to  the  lack  of  benefit 
conferred,  and  to  the  evident  tendency  of  the  whole  ma- 
chinery as  delineated  in  these  pages,  to  prove  that  the 
Devil  and  his  angels,  whose  existence  and  operations 
Christ  and  his  apostles  distinctly  teach,  and  you  as  dis- 
tinctly deny,  are  the  authors  and  operators  of  all  the 
prodigies,  wonders,  and  marvellous  occurrences ;  and  of 
all  the  communications,  intelhgence,  poetic,  prosaic,  and 
magniloquent  effusions,  embracing  sense  and  nonsense, 
common  and  uncommon,  from  the  day  when  the  murdered 
peddler  made  the  rumpus  about  his  carcass  in  the  cellar 
of  Mr.  Fox,  down  to  the  last  fantastic  trick  of  demons 
gamboling  through  the  brains  and  twanging  the  nerves 
of  your  learned  and  unlearned  media.  This  is  our  belief, 
and  further  we  thmk  that  the  completest  part  of  the 
diabolical  contrivance,  is  your  asserted  persuasion  of  the 
nonentity  of  its  real  authors  !  If  such  be  really  your  per- 
suasion, it  is  ^  remarkable  verification  of  the  scriptural 
announcement,  that  as  a  judicial  act,  "  God  shall  send 
them"  who  are  the  willing  dupes  of  "lying  w^onders," 
"  strong  delusion,  that  they  should  believe  a  Ue."  Now 
the  wonders  of  Modern  Spiritualism  are  not  lying,  because 
they  are  not  true  facts ;  but  this  is  their  character  be- 
cause they  are  real  facts  wrought  to  effect  and  confirm 
your  belief  in  lies.  Thus  the  magicians  of  Egypt,  by 
their  wonders,  persuaded  Pharaoh,  and  God  judicially 
hardened  his  heart,  that  for  his  abominable  crimes  against 
Israel,  he  might  be  left  to  bring  upon  himself  swift  de- 
struction, and  such  was  the  result. 

The  design  of  these  performances  shows,  that  they  are 
produced  by  no  other  but  the  contrivance  and  agency  of 
the  Devil,  and  that  is  to  make  man  heathenish  in  doctrine 


AN   ADDKESS   TO    RECREANT   CHRISTIANS.  389 

and  in  life.  It  may  be  worth  while  to  look  at  this  point 
for  a  moment.  One  of  your  leaders  says :  "  We  insist  that 
the  real  character  of  the  spirits  is  most  clearly  revealed  by 
what  they  do  and  say^  We  accept  this  as  a  sure  test. 
Now  we  wUl  begin  with  the  latter :  what  do  they  say  ? 
We  refer  you  to  the  various  specimens  of  spirit-literature 
we  have  collected ;  and  we  hesitate  not  to  affirm,  that 
the  common  sense  of  mankind  intuitively  will  pronounce 
the  whole  of  them  the  veriest  brain-dribble  that  ever 
oozed.  Some  of  them  no  man  can  read,  without  incessant 
interruption  by  his  own  involuntary  exclamations.  Can 
it  be,  that  Bacon,  Locke,  Webster,  Channing,  and  others 
of  their  mental  power  and  cultivation,  could  give  vent  to 
such  detestable  balderdash  as  we  have  quoted  ?  If  so, 
who  does  not  see,  that  their  minds  must  have  been  be- 
deviled, before  they  could  consent  to  utter  this  most 
drivelling  rigmarole  as  evidence  of  their  progression? 
IN^o,  no  ;  it  can  not  be.  We  grant  the  intelligence,  but 
it  is  of  such  a  type^  as  to  demonstrate  the  source  of  it,  to 
every  one  that  reads  retaining  his  wits.  It  comes  from 
personating  demons,  the  underlings  of  Satan. 

This  is  made  most  evident  by  the  doctrines  taught. 

1.  Of  God,  we  have  this  descriptive  phraseology ; 

"Do  you  mean  to  teach  that  God  is  distinct  from 
Nature  ? 

"  No ;  Mother-Nature  is  not  essentially  different  from 
Father-God.  Nature  is  a  negative  part  of  the  Positive 
Principle — even  as  man's  body  is  the  negative  part  of  his 
Mind.  There  is  not  one  thing  which  is  body,  and  another 
which  is  spirit ;  neither  is  there  one  thing  which  is  Na- 
ture, and  another  which  is  God.  No ;  there  is  but  one 
Harmonium,  illimitable ;  in  its  positive  aspects,  '  Father- 
God' — in  its  negative  departments,  'Mother-Nature.' 
Between  Father-God  and  Mother-Nature,  as  I  have 
affirmed,  manivind  come  into  existence.    Hence  man  is 


390  A   THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

legitimately  and  truly  a  child  of  both  Nature  and  God. 
Nature  is  the  Wife  of  the  Divine  Principle,  and  the  Di- 
vine Principle  is  the  Husband  of  Nature."  {Davis^s 
Penetralia^  pp.  254,  255.) 


You  will  remember  that  in  previous  quotations,  Swe- 
denborg  teaches  the  indentification  of  spirit  with  matter; 
also  how  he  insists,  that  God  is  a  principle;  and  that  the 
soul  is  apart  of  God  himself 

It  is  impossible  not  to  see,  that  Pantheism,  is  one  of  the 
great  distinctive  features  of  your  adopted  religion ;  but 
Pantheism  was  the  great  doctrine  of  the  Hindoo  philosophy, 
of  Pythagorianism^  of  Epicurianism^  of  Stoicism^  of 
Gnosticism^  and  of  Manicheism ;  therefore.  Modern 
Spiritualism  belongs  to  that  family  of  systems  denoted  by 
the  more  general  name  of  Heathenism. 

This  is  made  more  evident  by  the  unity  of  sentiment 
existing  among  our  spiritualistic  authors,  the  amanuenses 
of  the  spirits,  on  the  subject  of  creation.  The  Hindoo 
Philosophy,  and  many  others,  taught  the  theory  of  develop- 
m,enty  by  which  souls  were  evolved  from  one  part  of  God, 
a,nd  matter  from  another.  We  have  quoted  our  au- 
thority for  this  idea  as  characteristic  of  Spiritualism. 

In  relation  to  the  future  world,  the  spheres  of  Spiritual- 
ism bear  a  close  resemblance  to  the  Mohammedan  para- 
dises ;  while  the  future  life  is  much  the  same  as  that  of 
Platonism.  According  to  your  system  it  is  quite  appar- 
ent that  God  can  bear  no  moral  relation  to  man !  there- 
fore no  legal  system  can  come  from  him  called  the  moral 
law.  But  "  where  there  is  no  law,  there  is  no  transgres- 
sion ;"  hence  sin  has  no  moral  quality  This,  yes,  this, 
Gentlemen  Spiritualists,  is  your  system — and,  if  in  your 
estimation  Paul  tells  the  truth,  you  are  Atheists,  that  is, 
"  without  God,  and  without  hope  in  the  world."    You 


AN  ADDRESS  TO   EECREANT  CHKISHANS.  391 

will  pardon  us  for  speaking  as  plainly,  as  your  authors 
have  done  of  others. 

2.  Since  your  adopted  Theology  gives  such  a  view  of 
God,  as  was  incorporated  in  the  most  abject  forms  of  heath- 
enism, it  logically  follows  that  your  Anthropology  should 
be  equally  erroneous,  and  repulsive  to  the  consciousness 
of  our  nature.  Accordingly  we  find  in  the  writings  of 
your  authors,  such  sentiments  respecting  man  as  ought 
to  follow  such  sentiments  respecting  God.  Here  is  a 
specimen : 

"  How  many  persons  are  there  in  the  Godhead  ? 

"  There  are  in  the  Godhead  and  God-body  (that  is  to 
say,  in  the  imperishable  Mansions  of  Father-God  and 
Mother-N'ature)  all  the  persons  that  were  ever  developed 
on  any  star  in  the  firmament  or  on  the  earth  beneath  ;  all 
men,  all  spirits,  all  angels,  all  archangels  and  seraphs, 
which  people  the  immeasurable  spheres  of  life  and  anima- 
tion ;  for  we  five  and  move  and  have  our  being  in  the 
Divine  Existence,  '  whose  body  Nature  is,  and  God  the 
soul.'  "     {The  Penetralia^  p.  27.) 

"  The  doctrine  of  the  free-will  or  agency  of  the  soul, 
is  positively  contradicted  by  every  thing  in  nature  and 
man."     {Great  Harmonia^  vol  ii.,  p.  23o!) 

It  would  be  useless  to  quote  more,  though  much  of  the 
same  sort  might  be  presented  from  various  authors.  We 
are  told  that  man  has  no  free-will,  that  he  is  the  creature 
of  a  fatal  necessity ;  nay,  he  is  but  the  refinement  of  mat- 
ter in  his  very  soul. 

It  will  be  seen,  from  previous  quotations,  that  he  is  not 
answerable  to  God  at  all.  Why  should  he  be  ?  Having 
no  moral  freedom,  he  is  not  a  sinner,  for  sin  as  commonly 
understood,  does  not  and  can  not  exist,  being  only  mis- 
fortune, or  the  inconvenience  of  unpropitious  circumstances, 


392  A   THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

and  whatever  crime  he  may  be  guilty  of,  it  is  not  to  be 
laid  to  the  activity  of  his  free-will  or  the  wickedness  of 
his  moral  nature,  for  he  has  neither ;  but  it  is  to  be  ac- 
credited to  his  bad  position,  and  to  a  combmation  of  cir- 
cumstances over  which  he  has  no  control.  He  therefore 
is  not  a  responsible  being,  for  there  is  no  moral  law  with 
its  penalty  to  be  executed  by  God,  since  God  is  only  a 
principle !  And  as  there  is  no  law,  so  there  is  no  gospel 
of  salvation ;  since  there  is  nothing  to  be  saved  from,  and 
consequently  no  Saviour. 

N'ow,  just  think.  Gentlemen  Spiritualists,  see  how  ad- 
mirably this  operates,  according  to  Pat's  account  of  the 
matter,  as  given  to  the  writer.  One  man  murders 
another.  Provided  he  escapes  the  halter,  he  shall  do  well 
enough  in  both  worlds.  Pat  said,  such  an  one  would  be 
uneasy  in  his  conscience  ;  but  then  this  need  not  be,  for 
conscience  we  are  told,  is  a  thing  of  education ;  and  if  it  be 
educated  in  one  way,  so  may  it  be  in  another.  Accord- 
ing to  this  expositor  from  the  spheres,  the  soul  can  not 
be  held  responsible  for  any  thing  done  by  the  passionate 
animal  spirit !  Besure,  it  must  make  an  atonement^  not 
to  the  moral  law,  for  there  is  none ;  not  to  God,  for  he  is 
a  principle ;  but  to  nature^  for  becoming  inharmonious  ! 
Thus  leaving  the  world,  a  bad  man  goes  into  a  state  of 
happiness^  which  is  limited  only  by  his  contracted  capacity 
to  enjoy :  but  no  matter  how  great  or  numerous  his  ini- 
quities, he  is  in  a  omich  better  state  than  when  on  earth. 
Here  is  the  evidence,  as  quoted  by  Dr.  Hare,  and  coming 
from  the  spirit-world : 

"  No  man  is  in  a  morally  worse  state,  all  things  consi- 
dered, by  reason  of  passing  into  the  spirit-world.  The 
worst  even  are,  if  any  way  affected,  in  a  better  state  there 
than  in  the  flesh.  They  whose  spirit  sphere  was  purer, 
find  tliemselves  proportionally  blessed.   Many  remain  very 


AX   ADDRESS   TO    KECIIEANT   CHRISTIANS.  993 

long  in  the  lower  spheres,  where,  though  enabled  to  enjoy 
existence  in  the  degee  possible  at  such  a  distance  from 
the  divine  focus  of  blesedness,  they  are  '  spirits  in  prison,' 
and  wretched  in  comparison  with  those  in  the  paradisaical 
spheres.  Their  existence  is  a  blessing  to  them  even  while 
thus  low^  and  there  is  no  such  place  or  state  as  a  hell  of 
unmitigated,  hopeless  misery.  Meantime,  God,  angels, 
and  all  the  higher  spirits,  are  for  ever  seeking  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  inferior  spirits,  by  all  just,  wise,  and  appro- 
priate means.  And  no  one,  however  low  and  sluggish 
of  progress,  will  finally  fail  to  be  attracted  upward^  obe- 
diently to  the  divine  laws,  from  one  degree  to  another, 
and  from  one  sphere  to  another,  till  he  reach  t4ie  heavenly 
mansion."     {Spiritualism  Dem.^  pp.  322,  323.) 

But  we  are  not  sure  that  this  is  not  an  exaggeration 
of  future  misery,  which  by  the  way  is  a  misnomer,  because 
it  is  not  felt  to  be  such,  and  ought  not  to  be,  for  it  is 
imreasonable  that  diversity  of  condition  should  follow 
diversity  of  so  called  moral  character,  when  there  can  be 
none,  and  when  natural  inability  frees  one  from  responsi- 
bihty.  Thus  v,re  are  told  by  our  divinely-enUghtened 
Doctor  on  all  such  subjects  : 

"  It  must  be  conceded,  then,  that  the  prodigious  diver- 
sity between  virtue  and  vice  is  the  consequence  of  con- 
tingencies, which  are  no  more  under  the  control  of  the 
individual  afiected  than  the  color  of  his  hair  or  the  num- 
ber of  cubits  in  his  stature."     (Ibid.^  p.  138.) 

Therefore  man  is  irresponsible  for  his  sins,  because  he 
can  not  avoid  committing  them.  On  this  we  have  some- 
thing to  the  point  in  an  author  already  quoted.  (The 
answer  is  from  spirits.) 

"  Suppose  that  bad  actions  can  not  not  be  avoided,  as 
we  perceive  every  day,  is  he  who  commits  the  evil  pun- 
ished for  it  ?'     '  Yes ;  for  at  his  death  he  appears  before 


394  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

God,  who  has  ever  counselled  him  to  do  good,  who  do- 
sires  naught  but  good ;  he  then  reprimands  him  by  re- 
minding him  of  all  the  bad  acts  of  his  life,  pointing  out 
to  him,  with  mildness,  the  road  he  ought  to  have  taken  ; 
recommends  him  to  improve  his  conduct,  and  places  him 
in  a  society  suitable  to  his  tastes.' "  ( Celest.  Tel.,  vol. 
i.,  p.  10.) 

The  only  punishment  then  for  the  wicked,  is  a  "  repri- 
mand" by  the  great  principle,  God,  and  an  assignment  to 
a  place  and  society  suitable  to  their  taste.  And  as  that 
taste  improves,  they  rise  in  outward  degrees  of  happiness 
as  they  rise  in  inward  purity  and  refinement.  In  the 
words  of  old  Pythagoras : 

"The  condition  in  which  men  are  born  has  great 
effect  on  their  condition  here.  You  do  not  expect  the 
ignorant  boor,  the  vagabond  who  roams  your  streets,  to 
be  as  elevated  as  yourselves.  Why  ?  Because  the  cir- 
cumstances in  which  he  was  reared,  and  over  which  he 
had  no  control,  made  him  ignorant,  vicious,  and  criminal. 
But  perhaps  in  the  infinity  of  future  ages,  you  will  behold 
the  power  of  that  vagabond's  mind  transcend  the  united 
strength  of  Newton  and  Humboldt."  (Life  in  the 
Spheres,  p.  127.) 

Such  is  the  glorious  prospect  of  "  vagabonds"  in  the 
heaven  of  Spiritualism ;  which  is  not  outdone  by  the  re- 
presentations of  the  Koran  respecting  the  sensuality  of  the 
Mohammedan  paradise ;  for  we  are  informed  that : 

"  Another  feature  is,  that  whether  the  connubial  tie  en- 
dures or  not  is  optional.  Hence  those  who  have  not  found 
their  matrimonial  connection  a  source  of  happiness  in  this 
world,  are  at  liberty  to  seek  a  new  hymeneal  union  in  the 
spirit-world.  Where  there  have  been  a  pluraUty  of  hus- 
bands or  wives,  those  unite  who  find  themselves  happy  in 
doing  so.    But,  as  if  to  indemnify  mortals  for  the  crosses 


AN  ADDRESS  TO   EECREANT  CHRISTIANS.  395 

in  marriage  or  in  love,  or  for  the  dreariness  of  mundane 
celibacy,  all  are  destined  in  the  spheres  to  find  a  counter- 
part with  whom  they  may  be  happy,  there  being  pecu- 
liarly ardent,  pleasurable  emotions  attached  to  the  connu- 
bial union  in  the  spheres,  which  mortals  can  not  under- 
stand."    {Hare's  Letter.) 

Now  we  appeal  to  the  rationality  of  mankind  to  decide 
upon  the  question,  whether  this  be  not  a  profiering  of 
bounty  to  the  criminal,  and  the  extension  of  encourage- 
ment and  comfort  to  the  vilest  of  the  vile,  in  the  prosecu- 
tion of  all  kinds  of  wickedness  ?  We  ask,  whether  there 
could  be  a  more  powerful  influence  to  enervate  the  ma- 
jesty of  human  law,  and  to  break  down  its  restraints  upon 
the  wicked !  Could  there  be  a  more  effectual  contrivance 
to  advance  the  cause  of  evil  ?  Only  let  a  bad  man  be  as- 
sured of  happiness  in  the  lowest  sphere,  where  he  shall 
be  assigned  a  place  according  to  his  taste,  and  whence  he 
shall  progress  until  he  shall  ultimately  gain  the  highest 
grade  of  glory,  and  where  is  there  a  motive  to  induce 
him  to  change  his  course  ?  He  is  not  responsible  for  the 
circumstances  which  make  him  bad.  The  diversity  be- 
tween virtue  and  vice,  being  the  consequence  of  contin- 
gency, he  can  have  no  moral  character ;  and  therefore  ho 
has  nothing  to  fear,  but  all  to  hope  for !  Now  by  the 
testimony  of  Scripture,  this  is  the  very  scheme  the  Devil 
and  his  angels  would  be  most  likely  to  concoct,  to  beguUe 
and  ruin  the  souls  of  men. 

As  to  what  the  spirits  do,  we  refer  you  to  a  previous 
chapter  where  some  of  their  work  is  given  in  historical 
detail;  and  we  need  not  enlarge.  But  then,  you  will  say, 
do  not  the  spirits  teach  morality?  Certainly  they  do, 
but  at  the  same  tune  teach  other  things  which  make  it 
quite  indifferent  whether  their  lessons  on  morality  be 
heeded  or  not.    Hence  this  is  a  ruse^  more  effectually  to 


396  A    THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

mislead  you ;  and  for  the  truth  of  this,  we  refer  you  to 
lamblichus.  But  if  it  were  not,  the  doctrines  of  God, 
man,  and  futurity,  are  enough  to  nullify  any  possible  good 
influence  they  might  otherwise  have ;  for  w^hat  immorality 
to  a  being  that  has  no  moral  agency,  to  whom  a  great 
principle^  God,  can  hold  no  moral  relation,  and  over  whom 
there  is  no  m,oral  law,  respecting  whom  there  is  no  moral 
guilt,  and  therefore  no  moral  penalty  either  in  this  world 
or  the  next ! 

Pardon  us.  Gentlemen  Spiritualists :  The  whole  thing 
is  a  vast  cheat,  so  impudently  transparent,  that  no  man 
or  woman  ought  to  be  misled  by  it ;  and  we  greatly  mar- 
vel that  you  can  consent  to  surrender  your  souls  to  a 
faith,  that  ought  to  make  the  devil  blush.  But  he  has  not 
made  it  for  himself,  nor  for  any  spirit  out  of  "  the  form." 
They  do  not  believe  one  word  of  it.  Its  whole  design 
is  to  make  you  believe  "  the  doctrmes  of  demo7is^''  to  alien- 
ate your  hearts  from  Christ  and  his  cause,  to  produce 
within  you  a  contempt  for  the  Gospel,  to  lead  you  to 
spurn  the  atonement  of  the  Son  of  God  as  the  only  hope  for 
salvation,  and  so  to  sensualize  your  minds  with  unworthy 
ideas  of  the  employments  and  enjoyments  of  heaven,  as 
to  harden  your  hearts  in  reliance  upon  a  false  hope.  K 
he  succeed  in  this,  all  the  cures,  all  the  wonders,  all  the 
solemn  nothings^  all  the  tender  and  tough  sentiments, 
all  the  gorgeous  imagery,  all  the  friendship,  love,  and 
interest  that  personated  dear  departed  friends  can  feign — 
all  these  benefits  of  which  Spiritualism  boasts,  he  can  afford 
to  multiply  a  thousand-fold,  and  will  say  to  you  as  he  did 
to  Christ :  '-''All  these  thi7igs  loill  I  give  thee^  if  thou  wilt 
fall  down  and  worship  me."  Satan  can  not  be  supposed 
to  have  come  in  his  native  repulsiveness  to  practise  upon 
Christ  when  he  made  such  an  offer,  for  that  would  have 
destroyed  the  temptation ;  li;.^  therefore  came  in  the  form 


AN   ADDKESS   TO   KECREANT   CHRISTIANS.  397 

of  an  angel  of  light,  and  the  additional  test  he  gave,  was 
a  very  pious  regard  for,  and  a  ready  quotation  of  Scrip- 
ture ;  it  was  not,  however,  until  he  ventured  to  teach 
Christ  a  false  worship,  that  he  was  instantly  repulsed. 
N'o  matter  then  what  tests  may  be  now  offered,  the  in- 
culcation of  doctrine  obviously  at  war  with  first  principles, 
and  an  insult  to  the  universal  conscience  and  heart  of 
mankind,  is  an  unmistakable  test  of  the  evil  origin  of  your 
adopted  cause.  If  therefore  you  do  not  abandon  this 
ruinous  system  of  necromancy  and  sorcery^  it  foUows, 
either  that  Chi'ist  was  the  worst  man  that  ever  livedo  or 
that  you  shall  he  banished  from  God  for  ever.  Both  of 
these  alternatives  are  contrary  to  SpirituaHsm,  but  one 
of  them  must  be  true.  The  Scriptures  thus  teach  :  The 
hlood  of  Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  from  all  sin.  He  that 
helieveth  not  God,  hath  made  him  a  liar  /  because  he  he- 
lieveth  not  the  record  that  God  gave  of  his  Son.  And  this 
is  the  record,  that  God  hath  given  to  us  eternal  life,  and 
this  life  is  in  his  Son.  He  that  helieveth  on  the  Son  hath 
everlasting  life  y  and  he  that  helieveth  not  the  Son,  shall 
7iot  see  life  ;  hut  the  wrath  of  God  ahideth  on  him.  The 
dilemma  is  perfect.  If  you  choose,  in  the  face  of  the 
various  proofs  against  Spiritualism  given  in  the  previous 
pages,  to  adhere  to  it,  be  it  so ;  we  have  done  what  we 
deemed  an  imperative  duty,  and  you  must  abide  the  issue 
of  your  own  choice.  May  God  give  you  to  see  your 
error,  and  to  repent  of  your  sin,  that  through  Christ  you 
may  be  saved  from  wrath  to  come. 


I|#98  A  THKEE-FOLD   TEST. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

A  WORD  TO   THE  CHURCHES. 

Dear  Brethren:  When  our  beloved  brother  Paul 
labored  among  the  Gentiles,  he  had  constantly  to  meet 
and  combat  the  same  speculative  opinions,  the  same  false 
doctrines,  and  the  same  necromantic  practices  that  have, 
to  our  astonishment,  arisen  and  deluded  millions  within 
the  last  few  years.  Pointedly,  he  uses  these  remarkable 
words :  "  Put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God,  that  ye  may 
be  able  to  stand  against  the  wiles  of  the  devil.  For  we 
wrestle  not  against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against  princi- 
palities, against  powers,  against  the  rulers  of  the  darkness 
of  tliis  world,  against  spiritual  wickedness  in  high  places." 
(Eph.  6  :  11,  12.) 

The  antithesis  of  this  passage  leaves  no  doubt  as  to  the 
Apostle's  meaning.  "  Flesh  and  blood,"  signify  men, 
mortal  enemies.  The  other  appellatives  are  technical 
terms  applied  to  spirits,  immortal  enemies.  These  spii'it- 
ual  powers  are  distributed  into  their  constituent  parts, 
arch-demons  of  commanding  influence,  and  the  rulers  of 
darkness ;  but  Paul  here  means  that  particular  kind  of 
darkness  by  which  the  Ephesians  were  surrounded. 
"  Your  struggle  is  not  with  men,  but  with  arch-demons, 
with  the  monarchs  of  this  surrounding  darkness,  with 


A  WORD  TO   THE   CHUKCHES.  399 

wicked  spirits  of  the  invisible  world."  In  other  words, 
"  Your  fight  is  not  with  men  merely,  but  with  the  devil 
and  his  angels."  But  what  were  the  peculiarities  of  that 
darkness?  When  we  consider  that  Ephesus  was  a 
Grecian  city,  we  are  not  troubled  for  an  answer.  Demon- 
ology  and  Necromancy  were  its  constituent  parts. 

l!^ow  we  are  expressly  told,  in  different  parts  of  Scrip- 
ture, that  the  self-same  enemies  that  Paul  alludes  to,  are 
to  make  a  special  onset  upon  the  Church  and  the  world, 
in  the  "  last  days."  The  two  thousand  years  under  the 
Patriarchal^  and  the  two  thousand  under  the  Mosaic^  will 
probably  be  followed  with  but  two  thousand  under  the 
Christian  dispensation.  In  general  terms  we  are  told 
by  our  Saviour,  that  "  there  shall  arise  false  Christs,  and 
false  prophets,  and  they  shall  show  great  signs  and  won- 
ders, (as  tests ;)  insomuch  that,  if  it  were  possible,  they 
shall  deceive  the  very  elect."  This  implies  not  only  that 
they  shall  deceive  many,  but  actually  delude  many  who 
sustain  an  outward,  visible  relation  to  his  Church.  But 
this  fact  is  more  specifically  referred  to,  in  2  Thes.  2:8-12; 
1  Tim.  4  :  1 ;  2  Tim.  3  :  1-8  ;  1  John  2  :  18,  19;  Jude 
18 ;  Rev.  16  :  14.  These  passages,  collectively  taken, 
make  out  a  very  strong  statement  of  what  is  to  happen 
in  the  "  last  days,"  a  phrase  applicable  to  our  times. 

Our  argument  is  short.  Paul  assigned  the  facts  of 
demonology,  the  doctrines  of  demons  and  necromancy  to 
the  immediate  efficient  agency  of  Satan ;  but  these  same 
facts  are  developed  in  modern  Spiritualism ;  therefore 
they  come  from  the  same  source  now,  according  to  the 
prophetic  Scriptures,  which  while  opposed  by  this  move- 
ment, are  proved  to  be  the  true  revelation  of  God,  by 
the  fact  of  the  movement  itself.  We  are  well  aware  that 
Popery  has  been  considered  the  fulfillment  of  these  pre- 
dictions;  but  what  is  Popery  but  baptized  paganism? 


400  A   TnPvEE-FOIJ)  XEST. 

Through  it,  the  fulfillment  has  been  going  on  for  centuries; 
but  Popery  does  not  exhaust  them.  A  bolder  fulfillment 
is  in  the  revival  of  heathenism  without  the  pomp  of  Popery. 
The  warp  is  the  same,  the  woof  only  is  changed  in 
Spiritualism.  Now  we  are  at  a  loss  to  know  what  might 
be  added,  either  in  the  way  of  necromantic  performances 
or  of  doctrinal  teachings,  to  convince  any  considerate 
mind  of  the  truth  of  our  position.  The  evidence  seems 
to  be  satisfactory  and  complete. 

But  perhaps  it  will  be  said,  we  ought  not  hastily  to 
venture  upon  this  conclusion,  for  Science  may  yet  discover 
that  all  these  wonders  can  be  explained  by  laws  of  nature 
not  yet  understood.  We  confess  we  have  little  hope  of 
this,  after  such  attempts  as  we  have  noticed.  Nothing, 
as  yet,  has  been  explained.  But  should  any  future  at- 
tempt apparently  succeed,  we  do  not  think  that  it  will 
alter  the  case,  except  in  quieting  investigation,  and  lulling 
into  indifierence ;  for  we  must  believe  that  spirits  can 
operate  in  the  world,  in  no  other  way  than  by  conformity 
to  established  laws  of  nature.  It  is  only  in  its  religious 
aspect,  that  Spiritualism  now  has  any  claims  to  serious 
consideration.  Its  arrogant  pretensions  deserve  nothing 
but  indignant  ridicule.  Hostile  to  all  true  religion,  and 
impertinent  in  its  preposterous  assumptions,  it  can  only 
awaken  the  most  unmitigated  contempt  in  the  breast 
of  every  Christian  man.  But  for  all  that,  it  is  our  imper- 
ative duty  to  understand  its  nature  and  its  movements. 
Whatever  may  be  thought  of  its  physical  manifestations, 
there  can  be  no  question  as  to  its  moral  phenomena.  We 
have  proved  it  a  revival  of  heathenism,  and  by  the  testi- 
mony of  Paul,  it  is  to  be  accredited  to  the  devil  and  his 
angels.  Its  demonology  and  its  necromancy  furnish  all 
the  data  we  need  for  the  estimate  of  its  true  origin,  na- 
ture, and  tendency.     Its  adherents,  by  the  exposition  of 


A  WORD  TO   THE   CUUECHES.  401 

their  spirits,  must  consider  God  as  a  mere  principle,  and 
man  as  a  mere  animal,  and  all  moral  relations  and  laws, 
as  mere  figments.  With  this  speculative  belief,  obtained 
through  necromancy,  it  has  walked  through  Christendom, 
and  in  the  incredibly  short  space  of  eight  years,  has  subju- 
gated millions  to  its  sway.  To  consider  this  phenomenon 
any  other  than  the  work  of  the  devil,  is  as  good  as  denying 
the  agency,  nay,  the  existence  of  the  devil  altogether ;  for 
if  he  has  not  done  this,  we  should  be  glad  to  know  what 
kind  of  agency  he  exerts,  and  what  is  the  peculiarity  of 
the  evidence  by  which  his  existence  is  established. 

Other  interests,  however,  besides  those  of  religion,  are 
threatened  by  this  movement ;  and  you  may  yet  be  called 
upon  not  only  to  defend  your  religion,  but  your  civil  in- 
stitutions; for  if  Spiritualists  must  be  obedient  to  the 
behests  of  their  "  immortal  advisers"  in  one  particular, 
so  must  they  in  all.  Their  sincerity  and  zeal  are  securi- 
ties for  this.  N'ow  the  spirits  teach,  that  the  Church  is 
to  be  assailed  and  uprooted,  not  only,  but  that  important 
political  changes  are  to  be  made:  and  for  this  purpose 
Spiritualists  are  yet  to  form  a  great  party  who  are  to  go  to 
the  polls,  to  carry  out  the  scheme  of  unchristianizing  our 
political  institutions,  and  of  emancipating  the  land  from 
the  law  of  the  Sabbath.  And  who  will  say  that  the  same 
fanaticism  that  has  led  them  in  one  direction,  will  not  lead 
them  in  another? 

Their  prospects  here,  are  to  be  estimated  by  the  affini- 
ties Spiritualism  may  have  for  other  popular  errors.  It 
will  have  been  seen,  that  all  who  deny  the  proper  divinity 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  desire  that  all  men  be  freed 
from  allegiance  to  "  popular  theology,"  and  thus  far,  they 
coincide  with  Spiritualism.  In  a  sermon  preached  by  the 
Kev.  W.  G.  Heyer,  pastor  of  the  Unitarian  Church, 
Rochester,  on  June  29th,  1856,  "On  Spiritualism,"  hav- 
ing announced  his  embrace  of  it,  the  preacher  said : 


402  A  THEEE-FOLD   TEST. 

"  As  might  naturally  be  expected,  the  most  determined 
opposition  to  Spiritualism  comes  from  the  pulpit — the 
common  enemy  of  all  new  truths.  Minds  petrified  into 
system  may  be  broken,  but  not  bent.  Prejudice  is  the 
safeguard  of  ignorance,  and  bigotry  is  always  ready  to 
extinguish  with  the  iron  hand  of  force,  the  first  faint 
light  that  threatens  to  reveal  its  own  ugly  features.  And 
yet,  what  is  it  that  Spiritualism  offers  to  do  ?  Merely  to 
give  us  religion  and  humanity  in  place  of  oxthodoxy — 
merely  to  interpret  Christianity  by  its  facts,  and  to  re- 
commend its  divine  precepts  by  the  most  forcible,  convinc- 
ing, and  beautiful  truths. 

"  In  regard  to  the  doctrines  delivered  from  week  to 
week  in  this  place — in  regard  to  a  free,  liberal,  and  rea- 
sonable religion — I  see  nothing  but  the  most  perfect  con- 
sistency between  Spiritualism  and  Unitarianism.  Long 
as  I  have  beUeved  in  it,  I  have  never  found  it  necessary  to 
abandon  Unitarianism  for  it ;  or,  in  order  to  give  a  fuller 
and  freer  expression  to  the  vicAvs  of  what  I  understand 
to  be  Christianity,  to  depart  from  the  general  sense  and 
scope  of  Scripture.  I  do  not  know  that  I  shall  ever  find 
it  necessary  to  do  so.  Because  the  manner  in  which 
Spiritualism  is  introduced,  is  not,  however,  necessary  and 
proper  in  itself,  equal  to  the  demands  of  our  fastidious  and 
nice  sense  of  fitness,  shall  we  be  so  foolish  as  to  reject  it  ? 
I  know  the  influence  fashion  and  example  have  upon  some 
minds,  and  that  there  are  many  people  in  the  world  who 
so  httle  value  inward  integrity  and  moral  purity,  as  to  be 
willing  to  sacrifice  them  to  appearances  —  to  what  is 
thought  to  be  a  respectable  position  in  society.  But  I 
thank  God  that  Unitarians  have  not  this  worst  and  most 
debasing  of  all  vices  to  answer  for.  They  are  already 
unpopular ;  and  in  preferring  their  independence  to  their 
popularity,  they  are  sure  at  least  of  the  respect  of  the 
truly  good  and  true.  Though  they  were  in  error,  this  is 
the  last  thing  in  the  world  a  wise  and  gracious  Deity 
would  condemn  them  for.         *         *         * 

"  And  now  I  would  remark,  in  conclusion,  that  in  thus 
bringing  this  subject  before  you  this  day,  I  have  but 
sought  to  discharge  a  duty  which  I  have  thought  I  owed 
to  truth  and  to  conscience.     I  shall,  probably,  have  no 


A  AVORD   TO   THE   CHURCHES.  403 

occasion  to  speak  of  it  by  name  again.  But  I  shall, 
nevertheless,  remain  ever  faithful  to  its  principles ;  ever 
ready  to  profess  and  defend  them  upon  fit  occasion. 

"It  requires  no  prophetic  endowment  to  claim  for 
Spiritualism  an  universal  acceptance.  That  which  is 
founded  on  fact,  is  capable  of  demonstrative  proof,  and 
offers  all  that  the  heart  craves  and  the  fancy  delights  in, 
must  make  its  way  in  the  world.  So  its  influence  on 
society  can  not  readily  be  foretold.  Its  principle  of  ac- 
tion is  love.  This  constitutes  the  whole  of  its  creed.  It 
promises  nothing  to  faith  or  works,  but  every  thing  to  fit- 
ness, purity,  goodness,  unrightness,  justice,  and  mercy. 
It  makes  no  arbitrary  distinctions  among  men,  but  leaves 
them  to  choose  from  their  own  natural  tendencies,  their 
own  place  in  the  eternal  world.  Their  own  moral  quali- 
ties will  be  their  judges.  God  sacrifices  no  soul  to  his  own 
glory.  That  were  an  absurdity.  He  asks  obedience  to 
no  law  but  the  law  of  nature,  of  which  we  ourselves  are 
to  be  the  voluntary  executors."  {Spirit  Tel,  vol.  v.,  no.  13.) 

This  extract  fully  justifies  a  remark  heretofore  made, 
that  Unitarians  have  nothing  to  part  with,  in  embracing 
this  cause. 

In  Rupp's  "  History  of  Religious  Denominations,"  we 
find  the  following  from  good  authority.  "  Very  gener- 
ally, Universalists  have  come  to  entertain,  what  are  com- 
monly called  Unitarian  views  of  God,  of  Christ,  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  of  Atonement :  at  least  there  appears  to 
be  a  very  general  similarity  between  us  and  the  English 
Unitarians,  not  only  on  those  subjects,  but  also  on  the 
nature  and  duration  of  punishment,  on  the  subject  of  the 
devil,"  etc.,  (p.  730.)  Universalists  therefore  ought  to  go  in 
with  them.  Swedenhorgians  also  ought  to  coalesce  mth 
our  Spiritualists,  because  their  great  apostle  has  himself 
figured  largely  in  this  movement,  and  his  writings  are 
honored  by  Spiritualists.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Hayden,  a  min- 
ister of  the  "  New  Church,"  in  Portland,  has  written  a 
work  on  Spiritualism,  which  we  have  read  with  interest. 


404  A  THBEE-FOLD   TEST.  ~      • 

He  takes  substantially  our  view  of  the  subject  as  to  its 
demonology  and  necromancy,  but  thinks  it  will  advance 
the  interests  of  his  sect.     He  says,  (p.  70  :) 

"  We  are  willing  to  maintain,  not  only  that  these  de- 
momstrations  (of  Spiritualism)  have  been  permitted  for 
good,  but  that  they  have  already  been  productive  of  good. 
Multitudes  of  well-disposed  and  enlightened  spirits  have 
no  doubt  thus  communicated.  They  have  disclosed  to 
their  own  friends  and  to  the  public  mind  of  the  world 
important  facts  of  which  it  was  not  before  aware." 

If  this  be  so,  then  we  do  not  see  why  Mr.  H.  should  labor 
upon  the  question — "  Why  are  the  revelations  made  through 
Sioedenhorg  entitled  to  more  implicit  beliefs  or  worthy 
of  greater  credit^  than  are  the  communications  received 
through  the  Spiritual  mediums  of  the  day  .^"  In  our  judg- 
ment, his  argument  for  the  Why,  entirely  fails.  He  has 
an  idea  that  Spiritualists  will  eventually  separate,  and  the 
better  part  will  gradually  be  led  into  his  "  New  Jeru- 
salem" ;  but  we  think  the  chances  are  largely  in  favor  of 
a  movement  in  the  opposite  direction.  Mr.  H.  says  of 
Spiritualism :  "  By  its  own  universal  confession,  it  eschews 
all  divine  claims,  and  voluntarily  places  itself  in  the 
ranks  of  miscellaneous  communications  from  the  spiritual 
world."  We  think  this  author  is  mistaken  here ;  and 
any  well-read  Spiritualist  may  join  issue  with  him,  and 
successfully  show  that  the  "  divine  claims"  of  the  one  are 
worth  as  much  as  those  of  the  other,  using  Mr.  Hayden's 
work  as  a  text-book. 

The  various  forms  of  infidelity,  and  the  multitudes  of 
nothing arianism  may  be  counted  upon  in  the  event  of  a 
crusade  against  the  Church  and  "popular  theology." 
Such,  just  now,  is  the  position  of  things ;  and  we  must 
prepare  for  the  coming  struggle- 
But  for  this  very  position  of  things,  the  Church  herself 


~    I    Mill  ■  '- 


A  WOED   TO   THE   CHURCHES.  405 

is  not  a  little  responsible,  in  our  opinion.  She  has  been 
unfaithful  to  her  Lord,  by  being  unfaithful  to  the  poor, 
and  to  the  masses  thus  deceived,  who  will  beyond  a  doubt 
fearfully  retaliate  at  the  ballot-box,  whenever  they  have  a 
chance.  A  deep  line  of  broad  distinction  has  been  drawn 
in  the  Churchy  whose  tendency  has  been  to  separate  popu- 
lar Christianity  from  the  common  people,  and  confine  it  to 
the  ranks  of  the  "well-to-do"  of  the  world,  and  of  the  rich. 
Hence  in  our  cities  and  large  towns,  where  the  masses  con- 
gregate, and  whence  flow  the  most  commanding  influence 
that  permeates  the  country,  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  is 
made  so  costly  that  the  poor  can  not  afibrd  to  pay ;  much 
less  can  they  afford  to  brave  such  contrasts  as  are  made, 
in  violation  of  James  2  :  1-5.  This  is  not  only  contrary 
to  the  letter  and  spirit  of  Christianity,  but  actually  sub- 
versive of  the  Gospel  plan.  "  To  the  poor  the  Gospel  is 
preached,"  was  one  of  the  signs  of  the  Messiah  given  to 
John.  To  keep  it  still  as  a  sign  of  the  benevolent  plan 
of  Jesus,  is  alike  our  poHcy  and  our  duty ;  because,  as  a 
general  thing,  the  poor  are  almost  entirely  dependent  upon 
the  pulpit  for  general  religious  principles.  They  have 
not  the  means  to  buy  books  of  a  religious  character,  nor 
the  time  to  read  them;  hence  their  dependence  upon 
oral  instruction.  They  form  the  mass :  hence  we  shall 
probably  see  the  day  when  we  shall  discover,  too  late,  that 
our  most  expensive  and  most  unfortunate  operation  has 
been  the  perversion  of  the  means  of  grace,  by  multiplying 
the  difficulties  that  lie  between  the  indigent  poor,  and  the 
enjoyment  and  comfort  of  the  Gospel,  which  ought  to  be 
free  as  the  mountain-air. 

But  the  evil  does  not  stop  here.  The  simplicity  of  the 
Gospel  will  not  answer  itching  ears,  and  the  doctrines  of 
the  Gospel  do  not  suit  carnal  tastes ;  hence  if  we  may 
judge  from  our  Saturday  newspaper  lists  of  "Religious 


^Kf^ 


406  A  THREE-FOLD   TEST. 

N^otices,"  the  Gospel  must  often  give  way  to  disquisitions 
on  slavery  or  knavery  of  some  kind  or  other;  or  to 
"  Pulpit  pictures,"  like  that  of  "  Belshazzar's  feast,"  and 
kindred  topics,  done  in  "liifulatin,"  and  set  off  with 
effective  artistic  music,  enough  to  make  one  melt  away  in 
the  transcendental  emotions  of  the  religion  of  the  senses. 
Think  of  one  who  takes  this  for  true  religion,  whose  ima- 
gination and  intellect  have  been  gratified,  but  whose 
conscience  has  not  been  aimed  at,  whose  heart  has  not 
been  ill  at  ease,  under  the  close  application  of  doctrinal 
truth,  and  whose  starving  soul  is  sensible  of  some  want, 
but  unable  to  define  it — ^imagine  such  an  one  suddenly 
bereft  of  a  friend,  and  induced  to  attend  a  spiritualistic 
circle.  A  Av^ell-managed  appeal  coming  from  a  demon 
personating  that  friend  goes  directly  to  the  hearty  where 
the  diOctrmes  of  the  Gospel  ought  to  have  been  sent  long 
before.  Mature  is  overcome,  and  having  received  no 
general  principles  as  the  great  land-marks  of  religious 
thought  and  sentiment,  from  the  pulpit,  the  man  has 
nothing  to  protect  him  from  the  fatal  snare.  He  becomes 
a  Spiritualist,  and  finding  he  has  sometliing  for  his  heart 
to  feed  upon,  he  rejects  what  he  had  been  taught  to  re- 
gard as  evangelical  rehgion  ?  *'  We  speak  that  we  do 
know,  and  testify  that  we  have  seen." 

Hence,  though  argued  illogically,  we  lament  to  say, 
that  there  is  too  much  truth  in  the  following,  and  similar 
paragraphs,  written  by  Spirituahsts  as  the  result  of  their 
observation,  before  they  became  such.    Dr.  Dexter  says : 

"  Facts  known  and  seen  of  all  men  render  it  daily  more 
obvious  that  the  functions  of  the  Christian  ministry  are 
falling  into  a  mere  mechanical  round  of  ceremonies,  per- 
formed mainly  from  the  impulse  of  time-honored  custom, 
and  that  all  the  existing  forms  of  rehgious  worship  are 
fast  degenerating  into  meaningless  mummery  from  which 
all  spiritual  life  and  power  have  departed.    The  really 


A  WORD   TO   THE  CHUECHES.  407 

religious,  the  really  spiritually-minded  (of  which  we  are 
happy  to  say  there  are  still  a  few  in  the  Church)  see  and 
acknowledge  this,  and  are  constantly  sending  forth  their 
lamentations  from  pulpit  and  press  and  in  the  conference- 
room,  at  this  great  decline  of  spirituality  among  those 
who  should  be  the  world's  spiritual  exemplars  and  teach- 
ers. This  moribund  condition  of  spirituality  in  the  Church 
is  becoming  more  and  more  conspicuous,  and  the  hope  of 
its  being  remedied  from  resources  within  itself  is  con- 
stantly diminishing."     [Spiritualism^  vol.  ii.,  p.  61.) 

Now  we  allow  there  are  isolated  cases,  where  facts 
lead  to  lamentable  conclusions  ;  but  to  argue  from  these 
a  general  character  for  the  Church  and  her  ministry,  is  to 
do  a  stock-jobbing  business  in  falsehood.  But  nothing 
better  could  be  expected  from  the  enemy.  "We  only  re- 
gret there  are  any  cases  of  departure  from  the  simplicity 
of  the  Gospel,  and  any  room  for  attacking  the  Church 
for  a  wanton  prodigality  of  expenditure  upon  costly 
Christian  equipage,  which  she  must  soon  feel  an  un- 
manageable encumbrance,  like  David  in  Saul's  armor; 
and  which  is  at  the  expense  of  her  efficiency  and  spiritual 
life  in  the  cause  of  her  Master. 

But,  disce  ah  hoste;  it  is  not  the  first  time  her  enemies 
have  taught  the  Church  a  wholesome  lesson.  We  must 
return  to  first  principles ;  we  must  be  guided  by  the  in- 
nate sense  of  the  fitness  of  things,  and  not  by  an  unholy 
ambition,  subordinating  the  spirituality  of  the  Gospel  to 
the  Q,onnieY2LGtm^  religion  of  the  senses.  If  the  Church 
had  expended  her  energies,  as  she  might  have  done,  to 
build  herself  up  with  living  stones,  and  decorate  herself 
with  the  ornaments  of  the  Christian  character,  such  an 
ugly  fungus  as  Spiritualism  could  never  have  grown  here. 
What  the  issue  will  be,  is  only  known  to  Him  who  con- 
trols all  things. 

As  to  the  means  of  meeting  this  enemy,  we  need  to 


4 


408        '  A    THREE-FOLD    TEST.      |> 

^  look  to  the  Head  of  the  Church  for  wisdom  and  strength, 
#  in  adopting  Paul's  advice  given  in  Eph.  6  :  13-17.  Christ- 
ianity has  more  than  once  put  down  demonology  and  ne- 
cromancy, and  she  is  able  to  do  it  again.  The  Gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ  skillfully  directed,  is  all  that  is  needed.  Our 
business  is  to  spread  the  Gospel  through  the  masses. 
Send  the  DOCTEmES  of  Jesus,  by  the  living  voice  and  the 
press,  to  all  classes  of  men.  Exhibit  to  them  the  doctrine^ 
the  whole  doctrine^  and  the  entire  heathenism  of  this  spawn 
of  moral  evil,  ejected  by  apocalyptic  frogs.  Portray  the 
popular  sophisms  of  its  various  defenses,  and  while  the 
religion  of  Christ  can  not  be  degraded  by  the  remotest 
\  comparison,  its  great  truths  recognized  alike  by  the  Bible, 

the  rationality  and  moral  conscience  of  mankind,  in  their 
lucid  statement  and  earnest  application,  will  be  brought 
to  bear  with  success  against  it. 

The  writer  makes  no  attempt  at  dictation.  Such  is 
not  his  meaning.  He  simply  gives  a  sample  of  the  facts, 
laid  hold  of  by  Spiritualists  for  the  purpose  of  vitu- 
peration. For  one  he  is  thankful  that  they  have  struck 
in  this  direction.  Now  let  Christian  men  meet  this  mat- 
ter as  it  ought  to  be  met.  The  ladies  and  gentlemen 
who  have  committed  themselves  to  Sj^iritualism,  are  sin- 
cere, and  in  earnest ;  and  therefore  are  entitled  to  the 
serious  consideration  of  Christian  men.  Let  the  Church 
do  her  whole  duty ;  then,  "  when  the  enemy  shall  come 
.  in  like  a  flood,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  shall  lift  up  a  stand- 
ard against  him." 


> 


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